Amazing Babes and Arrogant Boys Who Fall for Them
by 3DarkLove3
Summary: We know of the Marauders. But what about their school days? What about their loves, jealousies, and pranks?What about the dangers of living in a Wizarding War? And what about their friendships? What about their lives? SB/OC JP/LE !ADOPTED BY WRITERGIRL18!
1. Polite Mannerisms, Pranks, and Piercings

**A/N- Hiya loves! A Marauder Fanfic, naturally! You have to love the pranksters...well, most of them. ;)**

**Sadly, i do not own any of these brilliant characters besides the lovely Isabella Serino, Cathy Ria.**

**And more OC's are coming in the next chapter, loves! :D**

**--Sara**

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Chapter One: Pranks, Polite Mannerisms, and Clumsy 'Damn It's 

The looks on two boys at Gryffindor Table were what alerted McGonagall something was wrong. Students were piling into the Great Hall, eager for the feast to begin and to see the familiar faces of their Housemates. The transfiguration teacher's eyes were narrowed at the two boys, along with their other two friends, suspiciously, her lips pursed tightly into a white line. Her keen eyes scanned the Hall, searching for anything out of the ordinary. Slytherins and Gryffindors glaring at each other, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs talking rapidly about the new school year could be found, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. One of the four boys caught the Professor staring sternly and flashed her an innocent, lopsided grin that accented his handsome features.

That was the last thing she saw before the Hall was clouded in a white, thick mist.

Students cried out in surprise and fear, thuds and thumps echoed as people fell over in the confusion. But a large group of shouts and yelps and cries were heard over the mass puzzlement and it alerted the staff immediately.

And than, as quickly as it came, the mist dissolved into nothingness, revealing the large Hall. Pupils were sprawled on the floor from tripping or looking fearful. But only nanoseconds after the mist was gone, everyone's attention was on the Slytherin table. The Great Hall went into a stunned silence, looking at what used to be, students. But instead of young witches and wizards, there was an assortment of rather disfigured and foul looking animals. One of the 'students' actually resembled a Blast-Ended Skrewt, only less appealing. But there were four boys, who were sitting at Gryffindor table, among the mystified mess that seemed perfectly at ease, if not a little amused. And all at once, the Great Hall was filled with raucous laughter, which was most exuberant from the Gryffindor table. The Slytherins gave snarls and snorts of anger, fear, and humiliation as McGonagall hurried over to turn them back.

"Brilliant, just brilliant," Sirius Black muttered with a snort of hidden laughter. James Potter grinned in response before mussing his hair confidently. Remus Lupin let out a small chuckle, than restrained his self with much trouble. Peter Pettigrew, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. He burst into uncontrollable laughs that sent the other boys into the same fits. People were giving them admiring looks as even more students entered the hall.

"How did you pull that off?" asked a shocked Frank Longbottom as he scrambled up from the floor. The laughing Marauders tried to contain themselves to answer and the first to catch his breath was Remus.

"Well," he started politely, a smile still on his face. "That's a long and complicated answer that only we Marauders would understand, Frank. I'm sorry."

Frank rolled his eyes but grinned and walked away clumsily. "It always is!" he yelled over his shoulder before sitting down next to his girlfriend, Alice Hart.

James and Sirius clinked glasses, than proceeded to clink Remus and Peter's as well even though there was nothing in them. James glanced at the entrance just in time to see a fiery-headed girl with gleaming emerald eyes walk in, accompanied by three others. His face broke into a grin and he waved his arm in the air.

"Oi, Evans!" he called. Lily Evans's green eyes landed on James and they narrowed. One of the girls accompanying the red-head rolled her own, cerulean blue eyes. She walked towards the Marauders, not noticing the heads she turned. Swiftly, she sat beside James comfortably and grinned at Remus and Peter, who sat across from Sirius and James. Her long, curly black hair was thrown into a sloppy ponytail that, instead of diminishing her looks, enhanced them. Her large eyes were surrounded by thick, black lashes. Her full, pink lips were upturned in a curious grin as she gestured towards the half-normal Slytherins.

"So, that was your work, yeah?" Isabella Serino inquired her accent a mix of British and Italian. She had pale, chalky skin that contrasted well with her dark ebony hair. The necklace that dangled from her neck had a snitch pendant, with the body of it made of her birthstone, diamond. The wings were a gold color, just like the real snitch. The Marauders grinned mischievously.

"Well, who else would do something so brilliant?" James bragged. Isabella rolled her eyes at her childhood friend and knocked on the side of his head curiously.

"What's in that big head of yours, Jamie? Because it certainly is not brains," she asked innocently. Sirius barked a laugh as James swatted her hand away, scowling teasingly. Remus grinned at her amusedly as Peter snickered.

"Anyways," she continued, leaning on the table, "that was hardly brilliant. Amusing and bloody courageous, yes, but certainly not brilliant."

Sirius frowned. "Are you saying it was dimwitted?"

"No, I'm saying you've done better," she replied coolly, smiling at him politely. His eyes, along with James', narrowed playfully. Remus clicked his tongue.

"You know, mates, I think Bella has a point," he told them. James exchanged looks with Sirius before nodding in acceptance. The young Black just shrugged carelessly before grinning at a few ogling girls at the Hufflepuff table. They blushed profusely and turned away, emitting a chuckle from him. Isabella sighed heavily, shook her head, but said nothing at his behavior. McGonagall, who had gone to get the First years, threw open the large Great Hall doors and a bundle of eleven-year-olds walked through, gazing around in an awed and nervous silence. Many of the girls turned to look at Sirius, who grinned his lopsided smile in return, causing them to blush or smile timidly. James raised a hand in greeting before crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue, making many of the nervous kids relax and snicker. Isabella gave thumbs-ups and encouraging winks to the kids, helping to relax them slightly. Remus smiled at all of them kindly, easing them slightly. Peter was looking at his empty plate longingly.

"Wonder which ones are future housemates," Bella whispered to the boys.

"The brave ones," Sirius replied with a smirk. Bella's eyes circled in a roll but she grinned despite herself. The sorting ceremony, which none of the five really paid attention to, went by quickly and once every first year was seated, Dumbledore stepped forward. His eyes crinkled as he smiled behind his spectacles and his arms were spread out in greeting.

"Here we go…" Peter muttered under his breath, emitting grins from his friends. The usual speech ensured, boring the Marauders, even though Remus tried to look politely interested in the every year policies. Isabella, James, and Sirius were currently playing hangman with their wands under the table. A pair of gallows would be drawn on a piece of paper and a man would appear, piece by piece, inserted in the gallows, pleading to the players to get the next letter right. The paper passed to Isabella and she bit her lip in concentration.

"Er…n?" she murmured to James. He smirked and added another piece of the man, who wailed silently about having paper children and an inky wife. Sirius whispered his guess, adding another piece to the man. Bella looked over the letters they had chosen and smiled widely.

"P," she muttered. James frowned slightly, a 'P' appearing into one of the empty spots. Bella stuck her tongue out at James' deflated expression as the paper was passed to Sirius. Unfortunately, he hated guessing games, and ended up losing by using up their last letter.

"'_James Potter is a sexy beast?_'" Bella whispered, reading the answer, before breaking out into silent laughter, along with Sirius.

"At least your confident, Prongs," Sirius laughed.

"—Tuck in!"

The three friends looked up at the end of Dumbledore's speech and than smiled down at the table happily. James crinkled up the paper before burning it with his wand and turned to the now food-full table. They each filled their plates with the delicious food.

"Izzy?"

Isabella turned around and saw a grinning Lily, who sat down on her unoccupied side, ignoring James, who was currently smiling widely at her.

"Hiya, Evans," he said. She still ignored him.

"So, how's the…you know?" she whispered to Bella. She smiled and touched her stomach lightly.

"Hurts when I get it snagged on something," she stated with a shrug. The Marauders, who did not miss this exchange or the stomach touch, all raised their eyebrows in unison.

"What's going on?" Remus inquired warily. Isabella slapped her forehead in disbelief.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you guys," she cried out. She lifted the shirt beneath her robes slightly, revealing a belly-button ring. "I got my belly-button pierced this summer."

The boys stared at the small stud that was occupying her belly-button. It was a yellow-topaz stone that was in the shape of a heart; it gleamed and sparkled in a way that only magic can. She smiled at it happily. Sirius whistled lowly.

"Didn't it hurt?" Peter muttered. Bella shrugged carelessly.

"Eh, not much," she replied calmly. James crossed his arms tightly, but didn't say anything, so Bella rolled her eyes, knowing that look all too well. The two fifteen-year-olds had known each other since they were born, on account of the fact that their families were so close, and he was like a brother; an over-protective, arrogant, arsehead brother, to be more specific in Isabella's opinion. And that arm cross was obviously an 'I-don't-like-the-ring-but-I'll-stay-quiet' gesture. Remus gave Bells a small smirk.

"Why?" he stated bluntly, but still managed to sound polite. Isabella ginned again.

"Well, I stayed with Lil this summer, as you blokes know, and we went past a piercing/tattoos parlor," she stated. "I had seen belly-button rings and rather liked them, so I decided to get one. Of course, Lily refused to even after I offered."

"It was a crazy and bloody ludicrous idea," Lily defended hotly. Bella smirked at her friend's tone while Sirius gave off his flirtatious grin.

"Well, I think it's sexy, love," he stated shamelessly. Isabella laughed loudly and gave him a grin.

"Thanks mate!"

Sirius winked and turned back to his food as James grumbled into his own plate. Isabella and Sirius had always flirted with each other, but more on a teasing and playful field rather than a serious attraction one. But girls never failed to become jealous of her, even her roommate, Cathy Ria. Isabella pushed a stray strand of her thick locks behind her ear and began to eat smoothly, talking to Lily happily. She glanced at James, Peter, and Sirius every now and again in disgust; they ate like trolls.

"I swear," she muttered, swallowing a spoonful of kidney-pie. "They get more food on their faces than in their stomachs, that lot."

Lily laughed into her goblet as she brought it to her red lips for a sip. Bella took a drink of her own, sitting straight on her bench. Isabella came from a well-mannered family and was actually very ladylike in many aspects. Her language and anger were not one of these aspects. And neither was her clumsiness. Although, she always looked like a lady, even in worn out jeans and a baggy tee shirt and she was always polite to her teachers and peers. Not including the Marauders, of course.

She wiped her hands on a napkin before crinkling it up and throwing it over at Peter.

"Here, you have a smidgen of food, just there," she told him, touch her left cheek with her index finger. Her nails glistened with bright purple nail polish that quickly switched to green, which in turn switched to blue. "And here and there…oh, and just there, too."

Peter wiped the spots Isabella indicated, his face gradually turning deeper shades of red. She smiled at his embarrassment, whacking the back of James laughing head. Not expecting that, he plunged face first into his plate of food. Lucky for him, Dumbledore had clapped and the plates were cleared, along with the long tables, so he hit the gold plate with a _thunk _rather than into a plate of hot food. He sat up, rubbing the bridge of his nose, scowling first at Bella, who smiled in response, and at a laughing Sirius. He pushed Sirius over into the girl who was sitting rather close to him 'discreetly.' The girl yelped for a second before she realized it was Sirius Black who was leaning against her. She batted her eyelashes flirtatiously.

"Oh, hi, Siri!" she exclaimed, her voice sugar sweet. Her straight, bright blonde hair was up in a neat bun with no loose strands. In her robes, she looked much like a blonde, much younger version of McGonagall. Isabella leaned on the table and gave the girl a polite smile, not being able to resist.

"Hullo Cathy! How was your summer, dear?" she asked in gracious interest. Sirius, who recoiled when he noticed who it was, grinned at Bella's polite tone. He always found her politeness somehow amusing, which befuddled the girl. Cathy Ria glared at the polite girl.

"That really is none of your business, Isabella," she hissed rather hostilely. Bella raised her eyebrows in slight shock, although she had expected this reaction, which is exactly why she had confronted her polar opposite. The two girls were opposites in personality and looks, which practically announced their rivalry to everyone. Isabella, the pale, ladylike, beautiful girl who had anger-management issues, which is usually unknown to those who don't anger her, and Cathy, the tanned-skinned, aggressive, rather man-like girl who always kept smugly calm when angered.

"Not too good, than? I'm sorry, I'm treading on personal area," Bella stated, leaning back into her straight back position calmly. She placed a large amount of deserts on her plate, much more food than what her dinner had consisted of, and began to eat swiftly. Sirius let out a bark of a laugh before piling his own plate, along with his fellow Marauders. Remus was the only one of the four boys who did not eat like some wild animal and it showed as he placed small amounts of food into his mouth at a time. Lily and Isabella both began to talk again, Lil laughing about Cathy, and Bella smiling at her statements. After a half hour of eating, the tables were clean and everyone was heading towards their common rooms with full stomachs. Isabella was drowsy, which may be the reason she tripped more than her usually four times on the way to Gryffindor Tower.

"So, Remus," she started, but paused to place her hand over her mouth as she yawned. "I heard you were made prefect."

The werewolf nodded his skin slightly paler than usual. Bella's eyes softened.

"Is it almost the full-moon?" she whispered under her breath, making it look like a very-convincing yawn. Remus very nearly believed it had been a yawn. Isabella, being the extremely smart girl that she is, had been the first to know of Remus' 'furry little problem.' He gave her a weak smile.

"In two days."

Isabella gave her friend a wide smile.

"What do you say to a bit of company than?" she asked in a hushed tone. He eyed her cautiously; a firm look in his tired eyes. He knew of her Marauderette side, as Sirius and James liked to refer to it as. She, much like them, enjoyed the pranks and didn't much like school, even though she was brilliant. The last thing he wanted was for her to be there when he transformed, though, knowing full well what would happen. Noticing the suddenly anxious look in her werewolf-friend's eyes, she grinned reassuringly.

"Don't worry, Remus; I won't be human," she reassured with a wink before walking through the open portrait hole. Lily had obviously opened it with the password: Glumbumble. Remus stared after her for a second.

"She couldn't have…" he muttered under his breath, following her into the common room. She had walked over to say goodnight to the Marauders, who were currently sprawled around the couch, than waltzed towards the girls' stairway.

Only, she tripped and bumped into the wall with a loud, "Damn it!"

"Watch out for those walls, love; they jump out at you," Sirius called out with a grin. Isabella turned her head and gave him an amused smile.

"I knew that already, but thank you anyways, dear," she replied before walking up the stairs. The Marauders laughed at her response than began talking. Well, Peter and James did anyway. Sirius was staring at the spot where Isabella had disappeared and Remus was deep in thought, thinking of her earlier statement.

"Padfoot, she's gone. I think you can stop staring," James laughed, noticing how Sirius was grinning and still staring at the spot. He shook his head and turned to his friend, still grinning.

"Did you see that belly-ring, mate?" he demanded, tilting his head back so it landed on the back of the couch. James rolled his eyes, not liking that reminder, but grinned at his best mate mischievously.

"Merlin, Sirius, why don't you just ask her out already? You've been staring at her for the past year," he exclaimed exasperatedly. Sirius looked at his friend without lifting his head from the back of the couch, a smirk on his face.

"She's almost as sexy as me. Almost, mind you," he reminded him. James crinkled his nose but laughed loudly. Sirius turned his gaze back to the ceiling as James turned to the quiet, thinking Remus.

"What's the matter, Moony?" he inquired, blinking his eyes in interest. Remus, brought from his reverie by James' voice, turned to him and chuckled at his friend's actions.

"It's just something Bells said…" he muttered, his brow furrowing. James gave his friend an appraising look before pushing for more information.

"Well, thanks, mate! That just clears everything up right fast!" he stated sarcastically. Remus gave his friend a weak smile.

"She said…well, implied is more accurate, that she might join me for my monthly, but than said that she wouldn't be human…" he muttered, his voice growing slightly hushed. Sirius' head snapped up and he looked at Remus, shocked.

"Wait, does that mean…?"

"Well, Pads, she's either an Animagus, or a very clumsy unicorn using Polyjuice Potion," James stated before laughing at his self. The others rolled their eyes and ignored his stupid joke, just as always.

"Wonder what she is…" Sirius mused lightly, looking at the flickering flames in the fireplace. Remus watched his friend in feeble amusement, but didn't comment. Peter yawned lightly, but grinned suddenly.

"Well, Moony, next full moon you won't only have a female companion," he squeaked in excitement, "but three male ones as well!"

James and Sirius both broke into identical grins as Remus stared at his friends, dumbstruck.

"You…you mean…you figured it out?" he whispered in astonishment. Sirius snorted.

"Your surprise is insulting, Moony," he stated coolly. Remus smiled at all three of his friends; a large, wholesome smile. He couldn't believe he had found such amazing friends. Ones who, as soon as they found out about his lycanthropy, were determined to help in any possible way they could. Isabella was among them and he was sure, if he had told Lily, she would be too. But he didn't; there was a small risk that she wouldn't, as there always was, and he wasn't willing to take it to lose any friends.

"Yes, we did, but we haven't actually performed it yet. We'll be doing that in a few weeks time," James added. Peter let out a loud, long yawn, which Sirius saw and naturally yawned as well. James caught Sirius's yawn, than Remus caught James's. They all looked at each other before laughing and standing up.

"Well, I think it's time we went to sleep," Moony stated with an exaggerated stretch. James and Sirius acted like Bella and walked drowsily to the staircase before tripping and running into the wall with two loud, "Damn it!"

Moony and Wormtail laughed at them before heading up to their dormitory calmly, closely followed by the other two. Soon, all four boys were in the dorm, along with their sleeping roommate, Frank, than changed quickly and swiftly. All four of them were soon in their beds, sleeping soundly despite the loud and obnoxious snoring of Frank Longbottom in the bed near the door. Of course, Remus had helpfully placed a silencing charm on him so they could no longer hear it, so that was a great help.

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**A/N- So, how was it? Horrible? Brilliant? Okay? let me know! :)**


	2. Auctioned Bras and Confessions

Chapter Two: Auctioned Bras and Confessions

"Bella, you have to wake up!" Lily yelled in exasperation as she attempted, yet again, at getting her best friend out of bed. But Isabella just snorted and muttered something incoherent under her pillow, which was currently placed over her head in an attempt at blocking out Lily. Cathy was doing her makeup in the mirror, ignoring the annoying situation behind her. Their other two roommates were chatting away, pulling on their school robes calmly before walking over to the bedridden Bella.

"Come on, Bell," coaxed Patricia Cairo, a petite, lanky girl with frizzy brown hair. She tugged gently at Isabella's exposed foot, which instantly disappeared beneath the blankets. Loud mutterings of profanities began coming from under the pillow, but the girl still didn't budge. Finally, the third girl sighed heavily and walked over to the dresser which belonged to the part Italian girl. She pulled open a drawer and plucked a blue bra with light purple polka dots all over it from the drawer. She walked to the door, Lily and Patricia watching as she went, and opened it, walked down the steps, and into the rather full common room. Her voice could be heard from the girls' room.

"Alright, you blokes, who fancies one of Isabella Serino's pretty bras, eh?"

In a flash, Isabella was out of the door and stumbling down the stairs, grabbing the bra angrily. She glowered at a grinning Jessica Albert, the bra auctioneer. Many of the boys in the room had shot their hands in the air as the Marauders, who were sitting near the fireplace, laughed. Sirius looked the agitated and angry Bella up and down, taking in her morning disheveled look. Her plaid shorts were rather…er…well, short, and exposed her legs quite nicely. They were black and red, Sirius noted casually, taking in her spaghetti strap tank top, which revealed her newly occupied belly-button. Her black hair was around her in a curly, knotted mess. The tank top was a yellow color and, with a slight shock, Sirius noticed that the heart shaped stud in her stomach was now a black, onyx color. He looked at Bella's angry face, an eyebrow raised in question.

"Well, I think I'd rather like it," he called out; standing up very slowly, soaking in the attention he got from the people in the common room. Jessica grinned before grasping the bra back from Isabella, who was giving Sirius a rather harsh look at the moment. But she reached for the bra, trying to get it back. Unfortunately, Bella wasn't the tallest girl around, and all Jess had to do was hold it over her head. Bella glared viciously as Sirius walked up to Jessica. More like sauntered, actually, Bella noticed.

Why can't he just hurry and get my damn delicate out of this room, she thought bitterly, crossing her arms. Sirius smiled crookedly and winked at the agitated Bella, who didn't falter from her glaring. But inside she grinned slightly, noticing the glares and icy looks she was getting from the girls in the room. Sirius reached Jess and grabbed the bra before walking towards Bella, grinning triumphantly. He leaned over until his lips were level with her ear.

"You know, love, in order to get this back, you're going to have to do something for me," he whispered flirtatiously. Bella snorted, still angry.

"Right, and quite frankly, I do not want to know what that something is," she whispered back spitefully before grabbing the bra and running up the girls' stairs. When safely at the top, she smiled down at Sirius, her anger gone. Sirius glanced at her stomach and noticed that the stud was now yellow again.

"So sorry, Mr. Black, but you won't be acquiring my delicates any time today," she called down before winking and waltzing into her room calmly. Jess laughed before following her friend up the stairs, giving Sirius an amused look.

"Aw, Sirius, you look like you've lost a pet," she teased. He looked at her and faked a sad face; pout, watery eyes, and sniffling.

"I did! I was going to name it and everything," he cried out dramatically. Jessica laughed again before walking into the room after Bella. Sirius let out a bark-like laugh before walking back to his spot by the fireplace. James was laughing on the couch, along with Remus and Peter.

"Bet you liked seeing Bells like that, huh, Padfoot?" Remus teased through his laughter. Sirius grinned widely before plopping into one of the cushy armchairs. His legs dangled over one of the armrests with his back against the other one.

"Yes, I did, actually," he answered honestly. The boys laughed harder and Sirius rolled his eyes, his grin still plastered on his face.

"I see you got your bra back," Lily observed with a smile as Bella walked back in the room, her stud turning black again. She rounded on Jessica before grabbing a nearby shoe and whacking her repeatedly over the head with it.

"THEY—WILL—NEVER—LET—ME—LIVE—THIS--DOWN!" she yelled out, hitting Jess with every word. Jessica was laughing, holding a pillow as a shield as Bella got out her irrational anger. The other girls were laughing as well, although Cathy was rolling her eyes in annoyance. Finally, after Lily had to pry the shoe from her grasp and Patricia had to gather Bella's bathroom necessities; Isabella agreed to get ready for school. She grabbed her robes, her things from Patricia, and headed into the bathroom with one last heated glare at Jessica, who was still laughing. Bella did the usual morning routine: peed, brushed her teeth, got in the shower ("Bella, turn the hot water down! There's steam coming out from the cracks in the door, you prat!"), put on deodorant, brushed her hair, and got dressed. She waltzed out of the bathroom a half hour later, looking refreshed and just as ladylike as she always did. Lily and Jessica smiled before walking downstairs with her.

"Where's Patty and, bless her, Cathy?" Bella inquired curiously. Jess snorted at Isabella's mock politeness. Of course, to those who didn't know the well-mannered girl, they would think her politeness towards the imp of a girl was real. But Jessica had known her since they were three.

"Cathy went in search of Black and Patty went with her," Lily stated rather dully. Isabella pouted slightly.

"Well, that was rather rude, don't you think? I never even got to say good morning to the—pardon me—she-devil," she stated falsely cross. Lily and Jess snickered at her as they walked out of the Gryffindor Tower and onto the moving staircase. They walked to the Great Hall, laughing with each other happily and talking about the classes this year, along with the O.W.L.'s, of course, which Bella stayed out of. When they walking into the Hall, Bells smiled at the Marauders before heading off to meet them with the girls, even though Lily was little reluctant. But she sat with Remus, who looked even worse today, but still managed to be his kind self. Jessica sat next to James as Bella sat beside Sirius, catching her foot on the bench. She swore loudly before brining it over the bench and sitting down. She filled her plate with food, ignoring Sirius' barking laugh. Taking her fork, she began to eat calmly as Sirius shoved his face. She grimaced.

"That's rather disgusting, you know, dear?" she murmured, swallowing a mouthful of sausage. Sirius looked at her curiously, a piece of toast dangling from his mouth. She crinkled her nose as it fell on to his plate and he swallowed loudly.

"Well, love, I am a bloke," he stated with obvious humor. Bella raised a slender black eyebrow before looking at Remus.

"And what is Remus? A wolf?" she asked with a smirk. Sirius laughed and went to start eating, but stopping at the sound of Bella's aggravated sigh. He turned to her again, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes, love?

"Aren't you even going to wipe off your face, Mr. Black?" she snapped. He smirked and shrugged, emitting another sigh from the polite girl. She grabbed her napkin and gave it to him, but he didn't make a move to clean his face, which was actually covered with food. Bells huffed.

"If you aren't going to, than I'll have to; just like a mum does to her little boy. Is that what you want?" she grumbled. Sirius smirked and shrugged suggestively, causing Bella to grab the cloth and wipe off his face with annoyance. Of course, he was smiling the whole time as James watched from his spot with a grin spread across his face. Bella dropped the dirty napkin in Sirius' lap before turning back to her own plate, pretending to be annoyed with the young black. Sirius pouted but continued to eat his breakfast, secretly trying not to get it all over his face.

"Albert, Black, Evans, Lupin, Pettigrew, Potter, Serino," McGonagall said, handing over their timetables as she said their names. Bella looked over her classes and groaned loudly.

"What is it Izzy?" Lily asked from across the table. Bella looked up desperately.

"Double Potions first thing this morning," she grumbled before glaring down at her schedule. She sighed in defeat, noticing that she had DADA after potions, which was a good thing, than a free hour. She stopped reading after that, deciding that she'd look it over later, when she needed to.

"Well, love, we have the same thing, so we can suffer together," Sirius stated with a wink. Bella laughed.

"You know, dear, you wink so much, I'm starting to believe you have a tick," she told him wryly. Sirius ignored her jab, downing his pumpkin juice in one sip. Isabella yawned widely, covering her mouth with her hand, before picking up her bag (which Lily had thought to bring for her) than stood up. Lily and Jessica were already standing, waiting for her, so she sighed and smiled at the Marauders fondly.

"See you blokes in potions, yeah?" she stated before heading off to the dungeons. She realized how medieval that sounded in third year, which only encouraged her to use it more, seeing as that's the way she looked at the class: a torture chamber for unwilling hostages. Well, minus Lily and Snape; they were willing enough.

"Do we know when the next Hogsmeade visit is?" James asked around a mouthful of eggs. Sirius shook his head in answer. Peter shrugged cluelessly, just finishing off his breakfast.

"I think it's the first weekend of October," Remus informed them. Sirius pushed his empty plate away and stood up, along with his other three friends. They slung their bags over their shoulders and began the trudge to the dungeons, James and Sirius hexing numerous Slytherins who came their way. Remus pretended not to notice, just as usual while having his nose in a book. Peter laughed jubilantly from the sidelines and soon, as they were heading down the last flight of stairs, their favorite hex-tester was seen.

"Oi, Snivellus, have any run-ins with the shampoo bottle lately?" James called out arrogantly. The greasy-haired boy said nothing, but sneered at the Marauders before quickening his pace towards the potions door. With a flourish of his wand, James sent Snape sprawling on the ground, his books splayed out around him. Sirius and Peter laughed loudly as James smiled smugly, his arms crossed.

"Potter!" Lily Evans screeched, storming through the open-doored potions room. Isabella followed her, staying rather indifferent for a minute as Lily helped her friend off the floor. James ran a hand through his hair.

"Hullo Evans. How're you?" he asked suavely. Lily sent him a malicious glare that had even Sirius cowering slightly.

"Fine, until I laid eyes on a horrible sight: you," she snapped angrily, walking with Snape into the room. Bella, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed, waited for the Marauders to pass before lifting her wand. In a graceful brandish, James went falling smack into the floor, just as Snape had done. Isabella, glaring at him, walked over to her seat.

"What goes around comes around," she told him before turning to Snape, who was sitting in front of her. She tried to apologize for her friend's behavior, but he just scowled at her and continued with his work. Bella, not exactly troubled with his attitude, turned to her potions partner, Jessica.

"That was a right foul thing they did to Severus," Bella muttered, her anger still hot. Sure, she wasn't very fond of the boy, but it gave no right to the others to treat him the way they did. James was sitting beside Sirius, sulking. But Sirius's eyes were locked on Isabella's form as she, once again, leaned forward near Snape to apologize for James's behavior. He gave her a death glare and spat a harsh statement at her as Lily, his own potions partner, got their ingredients. But Bells didn't look mad, really; annoyed, yes, but not mad, as she leaned back in her chair with a shrug. Sirius, on the other hand, was fuming at the way Snape had treated Bella. She was just trying to be nice and there he goes, biting her head off.

"Who does he think he is, eh?" he muttered darkly. James looked up from his sudden sulking and gave Sirius a befuddled look.

"Who, Snivellus?"

"Yea, Bells just tried to apologize for your behavior," he started, sending a smirk at the pouting James, "but all he did was glare and insult her!"

James glared at the Slytherin, along with Sirius as the class began. Today, they were going to learn how to create Amortentia, the most powerful love potion in the world. Bella and Jessica were reading the instructions and talking while adding things to the concoctions.

"Well, they've done worse things," Jess reasoned calmly. Bella nodded, thinking how her stud was probably turning into a light blue color, sensing through the way her body reacted that she was calm. She sniffed the air, noticing how the potion Slughorn kept at the front of the class still had its scent scattered in the room.

"So, what do you smell?" Jessica inquired curiously, stirring her cauldron with her wand. Bella blushed, but hid the sudden burst of color by making a curtain of her long black hair.

"Strawberries, the ocean breeze, chocolate, and…" But she clamped her mouth shut on the last scent that stuck out among the rest, no matter how attractive they all were to her. The last one was definitely the most attractive to her, but she didn't want anyone to know yet. Jessica didn't miss the lingering 'and…' at the end of her sentence.

"And…" she urged quietly, frowning down at her pink hued potion. It was supposed to be a mother-pearl-shine with characteristic swirls of fumes, but it lacked the color and fumes. Isabella pretended not to hear her as she stirred the potion slowly, ignoring the scents swirling around her. Jessica eyed her friend with a raised eyebrow, noticing through a slit in her hair that there was a light pink blush that looked almost crimson red across her pale face.

She grinned. "It's a bloke, isn't it?"

Bella froze for a millisecond before continuing what she was doing, releasing a resigned sigh.

"Is it honestly that obvious?" she asked desperately. Jess's grin widened considerably before shaking her head in answer.

"No, mate, it's not," she told Bella reassuringly. Isabella smiled at her friend happily, but it quickly turned downwards at the glint in her eyes.

"If you tell me who it is, I won't tell anyone," Jess blackmailed casually. Bella snorted defiantly before turning to her potion again.

"No way, dear," she stated politely. Jessica sighed and pulled out a scrap piece of parchment before writing on it with her bright pink ink. She wasn't very girly, but she did like pink. And the color ink was a type of system the girls worked out; each one would use a certain color of ink, so when they passed notes, the others would know who their talking to without writing down their names. And when anyone who wasn't intended to read the note tried to, the words would shift and say something rather foul. Isabella's idea, of course; Bella had bright and glistening blue, Jess had hot and sparkling pink, and Lily had deep and shining green. The Marauders were in on it too, but they didn't have different colored inks. Their handwritings were too different to get confused.

Jessica folded the note into a small bird and used her wand to direct it at the Marauders. Bella didn't notice, seeing as she was looking into her cauldron in pure shock. The note landed in front of Sirius, so he grinned and unraveled it smoothly.

Her small bubbly lettering was across the paper and he read it over, his grin turning downwards slightly.

Guess what, oh Great Pranksters? Bella likes someone! In fact, the person she likes is one of the scents she smells with the potion. But she won't say who it is…I think it's time for a little interrogation, don't you agree, loves? ;

He quickly wrote his own reply before handing the note over to a now eager James. It only took a second for him to scribble his response before handing the note off to Remus and Peter. Professor Slughorn came over to Bella and Jess's table, noticing how Isabella wasn't working. He smiled good-naturedly down at his least attentive student.

"Ms. Serino? Why have you stopped working?" he asked slowly. Bella, still shocked, pointed at her potion. The color was of a pearly sheen with multiple wisps of smoke coming from it. Slughorn blinked in utter surprise.

"Well, that's-that's very good…very very good, Ms. Serino," he muttered, observing it closely. The scent of strawberries mingled with an ocean breeze, chocolate, and a certain boy's aroma overwhelmed Isabella. Lily looked back at her friend and smiled encouragingly as Bella tried to block out the aroma unsuccessfully. Professor Slughorn appraised his worst student and smiled.

"Well, it seems as though you have quite the knack for love potions," he stated and Bella grinned up at him kindly.

"Thank you, Professor," she said politely. She quickly flasked some of the potion and handed it over to the Potions teacher before gathering her things and making the rest of her concoction disappear. She packed up and, with a smile at the Marauders, Lily, and Jessica; she was out of the room for some extra time to herself. She walked out of the dungeons happily before rushing outside into the warm basks of the sunlight. She walked out to the Black Lake calmly; waving to people from Gryffindor and other houses that she recognized who were obviously out on their break. Finding the beech tree that offered great shade and was conveniently placed right at the shore of the lake, she grinned and ran over before laying down in the enjoyable cool shade. Her bag was dropped to her side and she removed her long black cloak, leaving her in the wool skirt and white blouse. She folded the shirt sleeves up to her elbow and sighed, closing her eyes. She listened to the small splashes occasionally made by the Giant Squid nearby.

"Enjoying the shade, yeah?"

Bella cracked one eye open and smiled up at Mike Cornell, a Ravenclaw fifth year as well. She sat up cross legged and made room for him under the shade. He sat down fluidly and pushed his sandy-blonde bangs from his brown eyes. He grinned widely at the pale girl across from him.

"How've you been, love?" he asked. Bella, being pretty naïve when it came to real flirting that had nothing to so with the playfulness in her and Sirius' occasional flirts, mistook his flirty tone for a courteous one. She shrugged.

"Oh, it was alright. I had fun with Lily, of course. We went to the United States and I got a belly-button ring. But enough of me, how was your summer, Mike?" she asked politely, waving her hand in a dismissive manner before staring at him with wide and curious eyes.

"You got a stomach piercing, eh?" Mike asked, his eyes straying to her lower stomach for a second before moving back to her eyes. Bella smiled shyly but nodded anyways, hugging herself protectively. She was always very open and confident with her friends, not to mention when she was angry, but not so much on her own talking to her crush from last year. But the crush only lasted about a month and it was gone, so it was like her other crushes; based completely on looks.

"Yeah…The stud is a magic-mood-detector," she informed him casually. Mike's eyebrows rose curiously, although there was slight excitement in his eyes that wasn't exactly innocent. Bella was getting slightly uncomfortable, so she changed the subject graciously.

"And Lily and I went to a muggle concert."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it was a band called Queen. They were very good," she continued happily. As Bella replayed the concert, at the request of Mike, he stared at her. Bella simply thought he was being polite, but as the Marauders, Jessica, and Lily all came over to the lake in search of their friend, they knew he was staring at her for other reasons that made Sirius and James a bit mad. Jess ran over enthusiastically, waving at the two to try and get their attention before James jinxed Cornell into next year and Sirius beat him to a bloody pulp.

"Hiya Jess!" Bella called out, waving back with a large smile. She grinned at her other friends as well and when her smile was directed at Sirius, his anger had dwindled. He grinned back before waltzing over and stationing his self on her right side.

"Hullo, love, we were wondering where you went off to," he said brightly, gently ruffling her hair. She laughed as Mike gave the young Black a cold glare when Bella's back was turned. James sat on her left side, his arms crossed and a glare twisting his features. Jess rolled her eyes and sat down beside Mike, angling her self so that they were making a half circle. Lily sat on the other side of Mike and did was Jess did, just leaving room so that Peter could sit between her and James, just like Jess left room for Remus between her and Sirius. Now they were making an oval like shape with Mike and Bella directly across from each other. He was annoyed, as it so clearly showed, but the others decided to ignore the look.

"So, what were you two talking about before we came along?" Remus inquired calmly with a smile at Mike and Bella. Izzy grinned happily.

"A muggle concert Lily and I went to this summer. It was fantastic, wasn't it, Lil?"

Lily nodded happily and went into an explanation of the band earnestly while James stared at her in admiration. Sirius leaned slightly until he was whispering in Bella's ear.

"I don't think your boyfriend—what is his name again? Oh, right—likes me much, love."

Bella, who was currently listening to Lily and Sirius at the same time, turned her attention to a scowling Mike. She snickered discreetly, which, besides her efforts, did not go unnoticed by the Ravenclaw and his scowl deepened towards Sirius.

"I think you're right, dear. What did you do to him, hm?" she teased lightly. Sirius grinned cheekily, but didn't answer her question.

"So, is he the lucky bloke who's caught your attention, then?" he whispered even more quietly, leaning a little closer. Bella's cheeks flushed and she sent a glare to the watching Jess, indicating that she knew that Jess had told the Marauders. She just grinned and shrugged.

"No, actually, he isn't. Not that it's any of your business, mind you," she replied politely. Sirius chuckled and leaned back into his original position.

"No, I guess you're right, but it is James' and, as I'm his best mate, he'll tell me," he stated with a wink. Bella flushed again, but for a different reason; right now, he was the last person she wanted to find out. She took a glance at her wrist watch and sighed before standing up.

"Defense is going to be starting soon," she informed the group. Today, they shared the class with the Hufflepuffs and she noticed that the ones who were out on the grounds were heading to class. Lily nodded and stood up swiftly, along with Jess. Sirius and James remained seating calmly, even as Remus and Peter stood up as well.

"Are you gits coming?" Jess teased casually. James and Sirius exchanged mischievous glances before nodding.

"We'll catch up with you in class, mates," James announced calmly, his hazel eyes watching Mike give Bella an unnecessarily warm hug. Sirius saw this too and nearly shot a hex at him right there.

"Yeah, we'll see you lot later," he muttered, just barely hiding the dark tone as he watched Mike begin to walk into the castle. Bella gave the two boys on the ground wary glances before sighing heavily and following after her friends, who had already left. James and Sirius, once the others were out of sight, hopped up and followed after the Ravenclaw boy hurriedly.

"Did you see the way he was staring at her?" Sirius hissed through his teeth. James glanced at his friend cautiously before nodding. "I know that look; I invented that look!"

"He looked like he wanted to snog her right then and there," James stated plainly. Sirius grimaced but nodded in agreement as they slowed down, hearing Mike's voice.

"She's so pretty, it's unbelievable! I can't believe I never thought of asking her out, mate," his voice reported arrogantly. Sirius gripped his wand and glared at the floor as James held up a hand to indicate to stay quiet and still. He whipped out the Marauders Map and silently whispered, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

He watched the two dots in front of his own and Sirius', waiting for the 'Robert Olley' dot to move away. And luckily, he didn't have to wait long; Robert soon said he had to go and wished Mike good luck in the broom cupboard with Serino before walking off to the library. With a nod, James and Sirius walked around the corner casually, James muttering 'Mischief Managed' under his breath before pocketing the map. Mike turned at the sound of others and glared at the sight of Sirius.

"Hullo mate," James greeted cheerily. Sirius grinned happily.

"Have that broom cupboard reserved yet?"

* * *

"Ugh, I can't believe we're taking notes!" Jess grumbled angrily, writing down what the teacher was saying in pink ink. Bella yawned widely, doodling in her own blue ink. Her parchment, which was supposed to contain notes, was covered in small and insignificant doodles of brooms, suns, water, and dogs. Her blue eyes scanned the room in search of the two missing Marauders for the fifth time, not really expecting them to be in their seats, but sure enough, there they were. She raised an eyebrow in question at their wide smiles.

"Oh look, the gits are back…" Lily muttered under her breath from the seat in front of Bella. She snorted back a small laugh before looking back down at her parchment. Jess nudged her, pushing the corner of her own sheets towards her. Bella read the writing crammed into that small corner.

So, who's this mystery man that you like?

She sighed in agitation before twirling a piece of her hair around her finger distractedly. She was debating whether or not to tell her. On the one hand, if she didn't, her, the Marauders, and probably Lily as well, will interrogate her and won't stop until she exploded with the answer out of irritation. But on the other hand, even if she tells Jess and Lily (and she knows that, if they value their pretty little faces, they won't say a word to the Marauders), the four troublemakers will still bother her. But if she has Jess and Lily on her side, she might be able to avoid them or find out a way to ignore her feelings. Maybe…

She sighed heavily and wrote down her reply, shoving the parchment back into Jess' line of vision.

**Ok, ok, I'll tell you and Lily, but in the dormitory during free period.**

Jess grinned at the response and nodded in acceptance before tapping Lily on the shoulder and handing her the note along with another one, probably explaining the situation. Bella sighed heavily as she heard Lily cover her mouth to hide the snickers of delight. In all of Bella's time at Hogwarts, she had many boyfriends, but they lasted about three months when the time of her relationship with each individual was added together. It was longer than what Sirius spent on his girlfriends, but still, it wasn't the best track record and she really liked her new crush.

And, in what was so little time, the bell rang and the two girls dragged Bella up to her feet and out the door before she could protest. The Marauders eyed them curiously for a second before running after, knowing what was going on almost instantly. Bella yanked her arm from Lily's death grip and glanced behind her to see the Marauders rushing after them, out of the room. She groaned.

"Those blokes are the last people I want to find out…" she grumbled before running around the corner and casting a freezing charm on the floor with the words 'BUGGER OFF!' written in it. She heard them cry out in shock at hitting the ice and the thuds that accompanied these yells. Lily and Jess were laughing as Bella cast a brief glance back at them. She had to admit, it was pretty funny. James was lying under a befuddled Peter, his glasses askew and his face set in a glare at the boy who was currently sitting on his sprawled figure. Sirius was trying to help Remus up, but every time they looked at each other's look of concentration, they began to laugh and tumbled back down on to the ice. Remus, while laughing, glanced at the words written in the ice and laughed harder. His laughs came more in slight coughs though, considering the fact tomorrow was the full moon.

He pointed when Sirius asked him a question and his grey eyes hovered over to the words. His eyebrows rose and he looked at the departing girls. Bella crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue before looking ahead and running out of sight. Once they were out of earshot and sight of the Marauders, she stopped to catch her breath.

"Lily—" she said, gasping, "—can we—" gasping, laughing, "—hide out in the prefects bathroom for a while, mate?"

Lily was nodding and off in a rush before the other two girls could utter a word. With two disgruntled groans, they flew off after her, following her towards the prefects' bathroom. Jessica stopped though and began running in the opposite direction.

"Off to the kitchens, lovelies! We're going to need munchies," she called out before Lily or Bella could ask. They laughed and continued on to the bathroom, hoping that the Marauders didn't know what they were up to. Shortly thereafter, they reached the bathroom and Lily muttered the password before walking in. She shut the door behind her friend and looked around at the large, beautiful bathroom. Bella was currently sitting in the large, empty tub comfortably before grimacing and conjuring up fifteen pillows and three blankets. Lily laughed and followed her influence, sitting in the middle of the tub. Bella had her back against the outer wall of the container and her blue eyes were gazing at the Mermaid Mural. The fish-woman was currently brushing her hair contentedly. A knock suddenly resounded through the bathroom and Lily walked to the door cautiously. When she didn't answer, a loud and irritated sigh was heard.

"Oh, come off it, it's me!" Jess yelled out before pounding loudly. Lily laughed and let the girl in, who was currently holding a two bags; one, which was her school bag, and another. It was tan, potato-like sack thing that Lily had charmed in third year to fit any amount of food without ever breaking or running out of space. Jess jumped into the tub and emptied the contents as Lily followed her, a bit more gracefully, and plopped into her cushion. Bella had grabbed a cauldron cake and was nibbling on it as the two girls looked at her expectantly.

"So, who's the bloke, lovely? We're just dying to know," Jess muttered through a mouthful of a type of sandwich. Isabella laughed, grasping a bottle of pumpkin juice and taking a swig.

"Well, I don't think Lily will be all too happy to know who it is," she warned her hot-tempered friend. Lily grabbed a pillow and clutched it to her chest tightly, showing that if she gets angry or becomes critical, she'll clutch it to death. Jess laughed.

"I bet Potter wished he was that pillow," she stated, laughing harder at the look Lily sent her. Bella swallowed her own laughter, trying to be polite, and threw a piece of treacle tart at Jess. Lily sighed heavily and turned back to Bella expectantly. It was very rare for Bella to hide her crushes when she got them, so they figured she must like this one a lot, which is why they're, naturally, trying to keep it away from the Marauders; they would tease her. Or, that was jess and Lily's believed reason as to why she kept it a secret from them. She had told them of every crush she ever had with no shame, much like Sirius, and it didn't surprise them when she had a new one every few weeks.

"Ok, but neither of you can laugh or say anything because if you do, I'll…Merlin, I don't know what I'd do, it would just be very unpleasant!" Bella warned dangerously. Lily and Jess smiled and nodded.

"We won't breathe a word, Izzy," Lily stated.

"We promise, mate," Jess added. Bella sighed and suddenly felt very foolish even before the words had exited her mouth.

"Ok, well I sort of fancy…Sirius Black…" she muttered, looking everywhere except at Lily. It was quiet for a second before Jess snorted and Bella turned to her, glaring viciously.

"Well, that was very anticlimactic," Jess said disappointedly. Bella rolled her eyes.

"Well, I am sorry my none-existent love life was such a disappointment," she said, her voice laden with sarcasm. Lily finally swallowed loudly, clutching the pillow tightly. Her knuckles were white and Jess scooted closer to Bella for slight cover.

"Sirius Black?" she asked in disbelief. Bella nodded smally, feeling herself flush pitifully. Lily didn't look mad as much as she looked shocked, but it quickly melted in to anger.

"You do realize you're talking about the Marauder who has gone out with just about every girl in Hogwarts and has broken more hearts than can be remembered?" she cried out, flinging her pillow away. Bella glared at her friend defiantly as Jess grabbed three pillows, covering her body knowing her friends' angers all too well. And now they were both mad.

"I do realize who I'm talking about. And last I checked, my track record isn't all peachy keen either, Lily! Besides, you can't judge him like that! You hardly take the time to say hi to him, let alone know him!" Bella retorted in anger. She knew her stud had turned a deep purple, her anger not yet to the point of what it was this morning. But that was influenced much by irritation and annoyance as well. Lily scoffed.

"I might not know him, Izzy, but I do know his record," she stated. Her expression softened at that statement as they landed on Bella, whose eyes were now narrowed into slits. "You're one of my best friends, and I don't want to see you get hurt."

"No offense, Lils, but I don't need a protector," Bella snapped in irritation, although her anger had chilled slightly. "And, as a friend, I though you'd want to be supportive of my crush. Also, you don't need to worry; we're just friends anyway and he has his fangirls all lined up for him."

Bella, who had currently risen to her feet, plopped back down on her cushion and snatched a chocolate éclair from their pile of goodies; she stuffed it into her face, still managing to look ladylike, which astounded her friends. Lily sighed heavily and walked over, for she had risen to her feet as well, to her friend's side. She sat down on a pillow beside her, looking at her upset friend.

Well, this explains the increased polite-smugness aimed at Cathy, she thought with a shake of her head. She knew that she really should be happy for her friend; even if she didn't like the bloke. But if they did manage to get together, and he hurt her in anyway, he would be sorry. No, he would be more than sorry. Lily Evans would see to that.

"Yes, you're right; I'm sorry, I just…ugh, Black…" Lily muttered, giving her friend a hug. Bella laughed and hugged her back while hearing Jess cough.

"Oh, our apologies, Ms. Albert," Bella said in a mock-polite tone, making room for her friend. Jess grinned and hugged her other two friends before the threesome broke away. For the rest of break, they sat in the empty tub, eating their supplies away and jabbering on about classes and teachers. They were also talking about how many of the boys in their year and older had gotten better-looking over the summer.

"Oi, Moony, if you had to use the loo, why didn't—" a voice started from outside of the door. Remus's soft chuckle could be heard and the girls looked at each other desperately before scrambling up and hiding in the stalls. Bella casted an invisibility charm on herself and her friend's right before the door opened. Four pairs of feet could be heard and a chuckle could be heard from Remus, although it was a soft sound.

"Look at that—seems as if we've missed them," he said.

"Uh…missed who, Moony?" Sirius asked in confusion. Bella leaned out of her stall cautiously even though she couldn't be seen and saw Sirius sitting on the edge of the tub, looking at the mess inside curiously.

"Looks as if Bells, Lily, and Jess have had a picnic," Remus continued airily. Sirius' head snapped up and he looked around for a second, obviously searching for the girls.

"We've missed them?" James whined. Bella stifled a snicker expertly as Sirius tumbled into the tub smoothly, landing on the soft pillows. She heard his sigh from where she was standing.

"They were definitely here," he called from his spot. Remus smiled in amusement.

"And how do you know that, Padfoot?" he asked weakly. Bella noticed how he looked a little more ill as the day wore on and she felt a pang in her heart. Sirius held up a bag and Bella very nearly smacked her forehead.

"It's Bella's, mate," he informed his friend. Sirius's legs, which were still resting on the wall of the tub, crossed serenely. James groaned loudly and fell down into the floor angrily. Bella sunk back into her stall, not remembering she was in a bathroom. She bumped into the toilet with a loud clatter and fell on the seat loudly, clamping a hand over her mouth which threatened to yell profanities. Muffled laughs and snickers reached Bella's ears a few toilets down as the whole bathroom went quiet.

"Did you hear that?" Peter whispered.

"No, Wormtail, we didn't," James said sarcastically as someone walked towards Bella's stall. She kept her hand firmly over her mouth as Sirius Black appeared at the door to her stall, his wand raised. But, not seeing anyone, he lowered it cautiously. His eyes went over Bella's invisible form and even though he couldn't see her, he walked into the stall anyways. Bella spread her legs out as far as they would go so that she didn't touch the Black as he went right to the toilet. Her face flushed as he came less than an inch from on of her legs and she was instantly grateful that she was invisible; if she wasn't, he would be able to see her blue underwear. With one last sweep of the stall, he sighed and walked out, causing Bella to relax tremendously.

"It just must've been Peeves," he muttered to his mates. And as the four boys could be heard leaving, James asked Sirius a smug question.

"So, Padfoot, what did you smell in that potion?"

When the door was closed, Bella undid the spell and she walked out of the stall, glancing at the door to make sure they hadn't tricked her. Lily and Jessica were already gathering their things quickly, causing Bella to sigh heavily. She got her bag and made the pillows disappear with a sweep of her wand. Jess already gathered the sweets and drinks and the three girls were suddenly heading to lunch cautiously. Jessica was about to go and put the sweets in her room, but Lily said she would do it. Jessica handed over the bag and gave Bella a sly look.

"Avoiding Potter again, eh?" Jess asked. Lily snorted.

"As always," she muttered before heading off. Bella laughed and headed into the Great Hall happily, seeing the Marauders immediately. The waltzed over casually and sat with the boys, who gave them wary looks. Isabella looked very convincing when she raised an eyebrow and frowned in false confusion.

"What? Do I have toilet paper stuck to my shoe…?" she muttered, not being able to contain herself as she checked her foot curiously. James pointed a finger at her accusingly.

"HA! We knew it! Wait…where's Evans?" he asked, craning his neck to look for his beloved.

"Ok, first off, Moony knew it. And second, she's probably ignoring you, mate," Sirius stated coolly, smiling at Jess and Bella. Jess had sat next to Remus while Bella had sat next to Sirius. Of course, she didn't know that he had pushed James over so she could fit in next to him.

"Sorry, dear, but Pads is right," Bella told James calmly. She grabbed some roast beef and chips, placing them on her plate, before squirting some ketchup next to the roast beef.

"And what did you know?" Jess asked confusedly. The boys ignored her question.

"So, where did you girls run off to in a hurry?" Sirius asked, ignoring James' current state of sulking. Bella took a bite of ketchup-dipped roast beef and smiled while chewing slowly and deliberately. She knew he wanted to know and that when he wanted to know something, he was impatient. His eyes narrowed at her teasing and in response, he stole her plate of food away. She pouted.

"I was eating that, you git," she said, reaching for the pate which he held out to his left. She was sitting on his right, so she tried to lean over him to get it back. She didn't see the knowing looks of a now attentive James and a smug Jessica.

"Sod off, Sirius and give me my food," Bella muttered as he reached his arm over his head. And seeing as he was already a half of a head taller than her, it was now a lost cause. She sat pouting on the bench, looking up at the plate of food slightly longingly. She was only partially hungry, seeing as she had eaten with the girls. But wanting the food was an excuse to climb over Sirius' lap and to sulk, so naturally, she acted on impulse.

"So, who's this bloke you fancy?" he inquired curiously, smiling lopsidedly at her pouting session. Personally, he actually found it quite intoxicating, but of course, didn't voice it. Bella just stuck her tongue out at the Marauder immaturely, whose smile simply grew in size. He set the plate down in front of her calmly and turned to his own lunch, waiting for her answer.

"Just some immature guy," she answered slowly. She grabbed a chip and placed it in her mouth, chewing quickly and swallowing. "He's remarkably sexy, though."

Sirius frowned slightly, thinking of guys like that in their year or older. Well, anyone besides the Marauders, of course.

Mike Cornell came to mind, making his frown deepen.

"Is it that git, Cornell?" he asked bluntly. Bella sipped at her pumpkin juice and shook her head, a teasing smile on her face. She opened her mouth to reply, but a loud screech stopped her progress.

"Professors, Professors! Mike—Giant Squid—dangling—ahh!" a young Ravenclaw girl cried, running into the hall. Bella's attention instantly snapped to Sirius, her eyes narrowed slightly even though a smile threatened to break through.

"What did you do?" she asked the grinning teenager. But she didn't give him a chance to answer as she shot up in her seat and out of the Hall, stumbling a few times on the way to where a huge crowd was forming. As she came closer, she saw a certain blonde-haired Ravenclaw dangling above the Black Lake from an invisible rope, the Giant Squid playfully whacking at him with its tentacles. Sirius and James were laughing as Mike Cornell attempted at screaming, but no noise emitted from his open mouth. Despite the fact that she was supposed to be angry, Bella burst into laughter along with the boys. Sirius walked over and handed her a black robe with the Gryffindor Badge on the chest.

"By the way, love, you forgot this by the beech tree," he whispered in her ear as he draped it over her shoulders. His fingers grazed the nape of her neck, making her shiver, but she suppressed it in time for him not to notice. She pulled her arms through the sleeves and grinned at Sirius, who was watching her.

"Thanks dear," she stated. She began walking back to the castle, but stopped short and turned back to look at him. "Oh, and the bloke I fancy? He's got a whole band of hormone-raged girls looking to get in his trousers; just thought that'd help in your search."

Bella nearly laughed at the look she received from him and continued walking on, barely aware of the wide smile on her face.


	3. Palm Reading and Quidditch

**A/N: Here's chapter 3, loves! Sorry it took soooo long to update, but school's coming up and i need to have some fun with my mates, you know?**

**Disclaimer: are the Marauders and Lily alive? No? well, than, i do not own anything besides my OC's. XD**

* * *

Chapter Three: Palm Reading and Quidditch

"Remus, are you sure you're ok?" Lily asked kindly at lunch the next day. Remus, who had no food on his plate and looked paler than Sir Nicholas, attempted at a smile. Unfortunately, it came out as more of a half grimace and he just nodded.

"Fine, Lily; just tired is all," he whispered. James and Sirius, who were seated on either side of their friend, glanced at each other and began to pile Remus' plate with light food. Bella, Peter, Jess, and Lily were sitting across from the boys worriedly. Remus looked at his friends curiously.

"You have to eat, mate," James informed him matter-of-factly; than, he winked and grinned knowingly. "Despite your furry little problem, mind you."

Lily clicked her tongue and gave Remus a stern look. "You still haven't gotten rid of that rabbit, than?"

Bella, who was currently taking a sip of pumpkin juice, choked and coughed loudly, spitting it back into her goblet. Sirius had to bit his lip to avoid laughing at Bella, who was currently sputtering slightly. She was smiling the whole time though and the Marauders knew she had been laughing.

"Honestly, Izzy!" Lily exclaimed loudly, gently patting her friend's back. Isabella composed herself rather quickly and grinned at her red-headed friend.

"Sorry Lily; I just forgot about Remus' rabbit for a moment and when you brought it up, dear, I just had to laugh," she stated with a shrug. Remus chuckled softly, knowing if he had felt better, he would've been laughing loudly. James looked over at the Ravenclaw table to hide his laughing face as Sirius flirted with a few nearby girls. Remus noticed, with a small grin, that Bella was ignoring this, which had a domino effect for Sirius; he just flirted more and louder with the girls, intent on getting the Italian girl's attention. Jess leaned over and whispered in Bella's ear, who, in turn flushed red and glanced at Sirius for a split second before going back to her food undisturbed.

"I told you he isn't interested," hissed Bella from the corner of her mouth. Jess snickered but shook her head and shrugged.

"You are so thick, but ok, if you say so," she replied airily as a girl flirted with Sirius rather shamelessly. Her eyes kept darting to Bella, trying to; no doubt, show her she isn't the only girl in Sirius' life. Bella, getting an idea, smiled over at the girl.

"Hullo, love! What's your name?" she asked politely. It wasn't a false politeness, which made Sirius frown slightly and the others start to pay attention. The girl gave Bella a confused look, who just gave the girl her large, crooked smile.

"Uhm…well, I'm Jeanette," she stated after composing herself. Bella's smile widened.

"That's a lovely name. I'm Bella, by the way." Isabella held out her hand and Jeanette shook it hesitantly. James was watching her warily while urging Remus to eat, who was currently getting very annoyed. He shoved a piece of roasted potatoes into his mouth, glaring at the messy-haired teenager.

"'Appy?" he muttered. James flashed his grin before mussing his hair.

"Yes, thank you," he said. Remus muttered a few choice words before taking a few more bites to please his friend. Bella and Jeanette were having a rather nice conversation with a suspicious Sirius on the sidelines. He watched Bella, trying to see why she was associating with one of the people she often made fun of. Politely, of course.

"So, do you enjoy Quidditch?" Bella asked curiously. The girl crinkled her nose and laughed.

"No, not really, but I do go to the games," Jeanette admitted. Cathy, who was sitting a little ways down the bench, was glaring at Bella and the girl viciously. Bella nodded thoughtfully, than smiled at the girl and stood up, along with Jess and Lily. She turned to Sirius and winked before gesturing at Jeanette.

"I think this girl's a keeper. You should ask her out, dear," she whispered suggestively. Jeanette blushed profusely as Sirius narrowed his eyes at Bella. She just grinned and walked out of the hall, heading towards her next class: Divination. Jess and Lily were snickering rather loudly, so Bella turned to them curiously.

"That was brilliant," Jess said. Bella's eyebrows hiked up her forehead and she turned to Lily, looking for a proper explanation, no doubt.

"You should've seen Black's expression!" her friend exclaimed. Isabella looked from one girl to the other in confusion. Jessica began to turn and head towards Arithmancy, walking backwards so she could still talk to her other two friends.

"He likes you, you thick-headed prat!"

Bella scowled before sticking her tongue out at the girl and stomping in the direction of the North Tower. Lily had to run to keep up.

"Judging by the way he kept trying to get your attention and how he got his wand in a knot when he didn't, I'd have to say she's right, mate," Lily stated calmly, staring out into the sunlit grounds. Bella ignored Lily's assumptions, seeing as she had already talked to the girls about this. Sirius Black was the number one bachelor of Hogwarts and had hoards of girls after him; there was no way he could like only one.

"Well, this is where we go our separate ways, love," Bella stated dramatically, turning to look at Lily. The red-head rolled her green eyes but smiled and walked off to Ancient Runes with a wave. Bella gave her an answering one and continued on towards the North Tower, hoping she wasn't late. She twisted up numerous stairs and hallways until she reached the seventh-floor and continued on towards the Tower, which was directly a head of her. Climbing the ladder, she entered the foggy classroom and sighed when she saw she wasn't late. An empty table in the back caught her attention and she walked over, tripping over a few cushions on the way.

She plopped down and took out a piece of parchment, her ink bottle, and purple-and-red feathered quill, placing them on the table in front of her along with a book titled Dream Oracle by Inigo Imago. She looked up as two sets of feet shuffled over to her seat and smiled at James and Sirius, the only other two with this class. The sat down at the table, scowling at it as if it had jinxed them.

"You look like a cheery lot," she commented brightly. The two boys began pulling out their supplies roughly.

"McGonagall caught Snivelly and James dueling. She gave them detentions," Sirius explained sourly. Bella looked at the muttering James, than back to Sirius. Her eyebrows rose.

"And why are you in such a foul mood?"

"You made me ask Jeanie on a bloody date!" he exclaimed, glaring at her. Bella huffed and tossed her black hair over her shoulder distractedly before giving him a smug smirk.

"Well, you were flirting with her, love. Anyways, I thought you liked her," she stated with a wave of her hand. Her color-changing nails tapped the cover of her book boredly, making soft tapping noises. "Didn't you say she was a great kisser?"

Bella toyed with the necklace lying idly on her chest, flipping it over, than flipping it again. Sirius watched her intently, though she was unaware of it. James was still muttering under his breath, slamming his edition of Dream Oracle on the table. She turned to Sirius abruptly, who tore his eyes from the necklace and met her eyes.

"That was last year, Bells," he responded shortly. Isabella rolled her eyes in annoyance and dropped the subject, turning her attention to the teacher. Her bright orange hair was the only light, airy part of her; she was dressed in black and heavy green robes and wore thick, glum makeup. She told the class to begin palm reading today and that dream translation will, once again, be homework. Bella sighed heavily and shoved the book into her bag ferociously.

She felt a tap on her shoulder and she looked up, meeting a pair of dark gold eyes. "Um, hullo, can I help you?"

The boy smiled widely, flashing his bright teeth and held out his palm. "Would you mind terribly? My partner isn't here today; she got sick in Herbology, poor thing," he asked with a shake of his head. Bella smiled at him and nodded, taking his palm in her hands gently. The lines curved downwards and to the sides, some crisscrossing just slightly. She frowned.

"Sirius, what does down and across mean?" she asked idly, tracing the lines slowly. When she didn't get an answer, she glanced behind her to see him glaring at the boy. She sighed loudly.

"Oi, Padfoot! What does it mean?" she snapped. He turned to her and rolled his grey eyes in annoyance.

"What does what mean, Bella?"

"Down and across, you ignorant git!"

He glared before pulling out one of her notes from her bag, profanities streaming from his mouth. She turned to the boy and smiled apologetically. "Sorry 'bout that, love. He's just in a ruddy foul mood, he is."

She felt Sirius' glare, but ignored it and waited for the answer.

"Down means 'annoying' and across means 'git'; I guess the fates agree with me on this topic," he answered coolly. Bella turned around again and glared before snatching the notes back and reading them over. She laughed and smiled up at the boy; with a glance at his tie, she noticed he was a Hufflepuff.

"Well, sorry mate, but it looks as if you'll be trampled by a herd of Hippogriffs tomorrow. Tragic, really," she announced brightly, making the boy laugh.

"I guess I'll just have to live my last day to the fullest, yeah?" he inquired suggestively. Isabella was noticeably naïve, but right now, she knew that he was flirting and grinned in response.

"I suppose so, uh…I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name."

"Luke Terry, Hufflepuff," he introduced, shaking her hand swiftly. She nodded and pushed her hair off her shoulder lightly.

"Bella Serino, Gryffindor."

"Nice to meet you," he stated and before Bella could do anything, he had leaned down and kissed her cheek. She flushed but smiled at him nonetheless before turning to her empty parchment, the blush still hot on her face. Sirius scoffed loudly, attracting her attention.

"Why are you being such a prat, Black?" she asked, confused and angry. He looked up at her and scowled.

"You made me a date with—"

"Oh, sod off! You were going to ask her anyway and you know it," she interrupted shortly. She ran a hand through her hair in frustration. In irritation, she didn't talk to him for the rest of class and every time the teacher came around, Bella told her she already read someone's palm and then the teacher would scold James and Sirius.

"So, why'd you hex Severus this time, James?" Bella asked casually, putting away her unused supplies. He looked up from Sirius' palm and gave her a look of disbelief.

"For the same reason I always do: existing, of course," he said. Bella's eyes rolled and she shook her head, but gave him a small smile.

"Of course, because that's a logical reason, mate," she muttered before laying her head down on the table and yawning widely. She closed her eyes and tried to listen in on nearby conversations, but was interrupted when someone's breath landed on her neck.

"Who's the bloke you fancy?" Sirius whispered. Bella felt him kissing her neck slowly and tenderly, sending shivers throughout her body. His hands were on her hips as he gently pulled her closer and even though she tried, she couldn't open her eyes.

"That's none of your business," she managed to whisper back. She heard him laugh than kiss the nape of her neck softly.

"What if I make it my business?"

She shivered again but smiled as his arms circled her waist. And suddenly, he was gone and something was shaking her shoulder annoyingly. She tired to swat the invisible force away, but it was persistent and soon a voice came along with it.

"Come on, Bells; class is over."

Her eyes fluttered open and she groaned, noticing that the class was indeed over. A few students stopped and stared at her, all males, or stared at James trying to wake her, all females. Sirius was standing near the door leaning against the wall coolly, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. Bella buried her face in the crook of her elbow.

"Go away, Prongsy! I was just having a brilliant dream…" she muttered, her voice muffled slightly. With embarrassment, she noticed that she was blushing. James laughed but gently brought her to her feet. She yawned widely, but grabbed her bag and headed to the door with James. Sirius joined them and together, they made their way down to their next class. All three had Herbology, along with Remus, Lily, Peter, and Jessica, so they headed to the greenhouses together calmly. They walked in silence until James decided to speak up.

"So, were you dreaming about your mystery bloke, Iz?" he prodded curiously. She rolled her blue eyes but smiled at the two attentive boys.

"Yes, actually I was. Too bad you don't know who it is, you might just get a kick out of it," she mused with a shrug. James and Sirius both narrowed their eyes at her, but soon Sirius' brightened mischievously. He began whispering rapidly to James and Bella tried to listen, but his voice was too quiet for her to comprehend and so she gave up, walking down the hill towards the Greenhouses leisurely, trying to avoid anything that might trip her. Lily and Jessica were standing near the middle of the two long rows of students, listening to Professor Sprout with looks of disgust. And as she neared the girls, she noticed why.

Large slimy slug-like plants were placed in front of them. Their black hide was covered in shining boils as they squirmed slightly. Bella's nose crinkled and she gave the plants a wary look before taking her spot next to Jess. Putting on her dragon-hide gloves, she listened to Sprout as the Marauders poked their plants unwisely. Remus was trying to get the other three to stop, but it wasn't working very well.

"Today, we will be studying the Bubotuber. The boils on the plants need to be squeezed and once the pus is out, you must place it in the blue bowl located next to your Bubotuber. Now, can anyone tell me why it is essential that you do not touch the pus with bare hands?"

Everyone looked around, trying to find who knew. Lily's hand shot in the air after a few seconds of wondering silence and she sighed.

"If it makes contact with the skin, a vast amount of yellow-colored sores will appear, even though it has been known to cure acne," she answered promptly, eyeing the squirming plant with distaste. Professor Sprout nodded and smiled at the young student.

"Five points to Gryffindor, Ms. Evans," she declared before starting the class. Bella glared down at the disgusting specimen as the yellowy-green substance spilled from the open boil. She pushed the bowl under the falling liquid and turned away, observing everything around her.

"Damn plant…you want me to crush you, eh?" Jess was muttering, trying to kill her plant. Sirius and James had taken to tossing their plants to each other merrily, laughing when the thing shrieked out loud. Remus was successfully ignoring his friends and doing his assignment, while Peter was avoiding his at all costs. Bella sighed and turned to Lily, who was doing just as well as Remus. Glancing at her own plant, she saw that the boil was empty and the liquid in the bowl.

"I swear, if we ever have to do that again," Jess muttered after class, heading up to the castle with the others. James had lagged back to talk to some of Gryffindors Quidditch players who were coming back from their own classes. By the time he had caught up to his friends, they were all sitting in the grass comfortably, just finishing their classes for the day. They had the rest of the day off to study and things like that, although no one would be doing that just yet.

"We're holding the try-outs for the team in two days, alright?" James stated before rushing off to tell the other team members. Bella nodded and sprawled out on the ground comfortably, watching as clouds sailed past in the sky. Remus was currently reading a thick-paged book that he had gotten from the library already while Sirius and Peter were arguing about what the most disturbing part of Herbology was. Jessica was watching, amused.

"I am telling you, Wormtail, it's the damn pus!" Sirius said, exasperated. Peter shook his head timidly.

"No, it was actually touching the things," he muttered, a little less confident than Sirius. Bella yawned widely and tried to ignore the ongoing argument. Unfortunately, they seemed to be going out of their way to annoy her and so she groaned, sat up, and scowled at the two boys. They hadn't heard or seen her make any movements.

"The most disturbing part of Herbology was probably the way Frank cooed to his," she stated impatiently. Peter and Sirius looked at Bella before wrinkling their noses and nodding in agreement; it **was** pretty disturbing the way Frank kept singing lullabies to the creature-plant-thing. Bella crossed her legs serenely and glanced over at Remus, reading the cover of his book. She frowned.

"Is there a reason you're reading about the history of…trolls?" she asked, re-reading the elegant script on the cover. Remus looked up and smiled politely, looking even paler than earlier.

"Not really; I just saw it and decided to read it."

Bella raised an eyebrow, than turned to Sirius and Peter. The young Black just shook his head dismissively and Peter shrugged absently, pulling out a few blades of grass. The group was emerged in silence as Bella went back to staring at the clouds. She tried to ignore the silence, but as it dragged on, she finally got fed up and pushed herself off of the ground, standing tall with her bag slung over he shoulder.

"Well, loves, seeing as everyone here is content with being boring, I'm going to head to the Quidditch Pitch and watch the Ravenclaw tryouts," she announced before walking off, tripping over three rocks before she disappeared from view. Lily sighed and laid back in the grass, hoping her friend wouldn't get into any trouble. Jessica hopped up and walked after her best friend, bored with Sirius and Peter's antics. The three boys just looked at each other, shrugged, and continued doing whatever. And when Lily saw who was left, she groaned and decided to go to the library suddenly. Sirius watched the red-head huff away, his head cocked to the side.

"Does she honestly hate us enough not to be in public with us, mates?" he marveled, turning to Remus. The werewolf turned a page in his book idly, absorbing the battle between mountain trolls and cavern trolls with gusto.

"I'm not sure, Padfoot. Go ask her."

Sirius snorted and rolled his stormy gray eyes. "And go to the library? Not going to happen, Moony."

Peter nodded vigorously, than turned his attention to the approaching James. Sirius watched too as his best mate plopped on the ground beside him, breathing heavily.

"Merlin, Prongs; you sound like you've had a run in the broom cupboard," Sirius commented wryly. James laughed and shrugged.

"Eh, you never know, Padfoot; Evans could come around before I turn bloody forty," he retorted. Padfoot grinned and motioned at James's disheveled look.

"Where did you go to come back look like that?"

"All around, looking for old team members; finally, I decided to just post the news in the common room."

Remus glanced up at his friend for a second, than turned back to his book. "I told you to do that earlier, Prongs."

James smiled and nodded. "And I took your advice, Moony. Thank you."

Sirius yawned and stood up swiftly, staring towards the Quidditch Pitch where flyers could be seen zooming around on their brooms. James followed his friend's line of vision and saw two girls heading up to the stands. He smiled and jumped up before walking towards the pitch, motioning for Sirius to follow. Remus put his book away and stood up with his bag over his shoulder.

"I'm going to back to the common room," he told the others tiredly. The other three looked at their friend dismally, who gave them a small smile and headed off to Gryffindor Tower. Peter waddled over to his two protectors.

"Well, let's go to the Pitch," James stated after a minute of agonized silence. Sirius and Peter nodded, heading off towards the large and grassy Quidditch Pitch. The fresh grass swayed with the slight breeze, looking like green waves on land. Loose leaves swirled around the boys' heads as they walked past a group of giggling girls. Sirius flashed them a heart-racing smile and they, of course, swooned. James rolled his hazel orbs and grabbed Sirius' arm, dragging him away from the ogling and overly-warm girls. They pouted where they sat, but waved nonetheless at the three Marauders. When they arrived at the Pitch, Bella and Jess were on the field, talking to some of the Quidditch players. Two of the five boys on the ground were flirting with Jessica discreetly, while the other three were flirting much more shamelessly with Bella. James glanced at his friend warily, but Sirius was waltzing on the field towards the group.

"Really? That's really—Oh, hi, Sirius!" Bella greeted as he reached them. Padfoot smiled at Bella, but it turned down as he looked at the three players staring at her longingly. They glared at him, which he returned with pleasure. Bella looked between the four boys cluelessly, watching at James and Peter marched towards them. Peter looked a bit anxious while James looked annoyed and wary. Jess saw them coming and greeted both boys cheerily; they returned her hello but kept their eyes on Sirius, who smiled down at Bella.

"Hello love."

"I thought you were busy boring, dear."

"Eh, I got bored without you being boring with us." Sirius winked and wrapped an arm around her shoulders protectively as she laughed. She smiled widely at the other three boys and pointed at each in turn.

"Sirius, this is Kyle Torine, Jared Helit, and Elliot Geer," she introduced happily. The boy on the left, Kyle, assessed Sirius with a critical eye. His cropped blonde hair was messy and a little damp with sweat, his brown eyes narrowed slightly. He nodded a greeting. The middle boy, Jared, had chin length sandy-brown hair that was sleek and bouncy even though it was damp as well. His body was muscular and his bright blue eyes stared at the Gryffindor male defiantly. He didn't make any movement to show that he heard Bella. The boy on the right, Elliot, had spiky orange hair and a face speckled with numerous freckles. His deep green eyes looked Sirius up and down, his hair shining in the sun as the light caught the spots of sweat. He gave Sirius a miniscule smile.

"What year are you, mates?" Sirius asked after a moment of silence.

"Fourth," replied Kyle deadpan.

"Sixth," Jared stated.

"Seventh," Elliot answered with a small shrug. Sirius stared at the three boys with contempt, something Bella didn't understand. Did they know each other? Did Sirius play some kind of prank on them at some point?

Probably; who hasn't he played a prank on? Bella thought with a roll of her eyes. She looked over at James, Jessica, and Peter for some kind of explanation, but they were all looking extremely exasperated. She tilted her head to the side, but shrugged off their behavior and turned back to the four boys instead. Jared turned to her finally, taking his eyes off the threat that was Sirius Black.

"So, you're a muggleborn, eh?" he asked curiously, his eyes shining with interest. Bella nodded.

"Mm-hm; the only other person with magic blood is my older brother, Lenny," she explained. A yawn escaped her lips, which she covered up with her hand so as not to seem rude. "My parents are such good friends with James' because my mum and dad met them at the Ministry when my brother was in first year."

"How old is he know?" Kyle inquired, taking after Jared's example and ignoring Sirius, whose arm tightened around Bella.

"Nineteen; he'll be twenty in March."

Elliot smiled at Bella genuinely before turning towards the Ravenclaw captain who was calling for the people trying out for beater. He grinned wider and jumped off, waving at the others before standing in line along with five others. Bella waved back and ducked out of Sirius's arm, waltzing over to James, Jessica, and Peter while trying not to trip. She managed it, making her already dazzling smile blinding with happiness. She was happy that she got to talk to her possible competition for this year, that Sirius had wrapped his arm around her so securely, and now, that she didn't trip on the way over to her other friends.

"So, that's the competition?" James asked, eyeing the tryouts for beaters. Bella held up one finger and swished it from side to side in mock scolding.

"Ah-ah-ah…possible, competition, Jamie," she reminded with a teasing smile. James rolled his eyes and continued to watch the tryouts, searching for their best player and Gryffindors biggest threat. The group sat in the stands and watched the tryouts progress, Sirius sneaking glances at Bella throughout the whole thing. Jess and Bella were laughing and whispering about things he desperately wanted to know. Judging by the blush on Bella's cheeks, they were talking about her mystery crush and he wanted to know who it was so bad. And once he found out, because he will find out, he was going to murder them with a sharp-pointed quill. He had it all planned out already in his head.

"No way; the Puddlemere United is the best team!" Bella argued with Jessica. Jess shook her head from side to side as if what Bella had just said was childish.

"No, the Falmouth Falcons are, Bells," she sing songed. Bella rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless at her high-spirited friend. The two began to banter back and forth over which was better and why. Jess's strongest and most persistent point was 'The Falmouth Flacons have style and well-organized plays…but if those don't work, they try to aim for their opponents rather than the balls, a very unique and useful tactic.' Of course, Bella kept pointing out that they had gotten more penalties than any other team because of that fact. After three hours of sitting in the stands, arguing and occasionally watching the team tryouts, Bella and Jessica stood up with long stretches. The boys looked at them curiously, wondering where they were going; the only tryouts that were left were the seeker.

"Where you going, love?" Sirius asked, watching as he shirt rode up and revealed her piercing as she stretched her arms to the sky.

"Back to the tower, of course; this is getting rather boring. We'll find out our competition another time," Jess explained with a shrug. Jessica was on the Gryffindor team, playing the part of one of the beaters. Bella played the lone roll of seeker, which is why James always ragged on her; if she missed the snitch quickly, they could lose, which would make him annoyed and irritated. Bella just ignored him.

"You should see these ones, Bella," James stated firmly, being all captainy and bossy. Isabella rolled her eyes and glared at the boy.

"I am bored, James. We'll see you at dinner."

"I still don't know why the Ravenclaws are holding their tryouts so early," Jess muttered as the two girls walked on the sidelines of the pitch and towards the castle.


	4. Werewolves and Hidden Jealousy

**A/N: Ok, sorry it took so very long to update, but school is starting in five days and we're getting new carpet and...oh, you don't want to hear my pathetic excuses.**

**Anyway, i do not own any of these characters BESIDES my loverly OCs! C: **

Chapter Four: Werewolves and Hidden Jealousy

"So…I stir counterclockwise?" Bella inquired, titling her wand to the left. Lily waved her hands around wildly before snatching away Bella's wand.

"No, Izzy! Geez," Lily muttered in annoyance. Her friend rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips and glaring down at the cauldron.

"Well, than, what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Just forget it! I'll tell you tomorrow!"

Bella pouted before snatching back her wand and waving it over the contents. The brown liquid disappeared and the cauldron floated back up to the girls' dormitories. Her bag was placed next to the oak table on the ground, flopped pathetically on its side. Her mind had been scattered for the rest of the day, thinking about the upcoming event with Remus.

"Hey girlies, what cha doing?" Jess called, jogging over with a fellow fifth year girl. The other girl's blonde bun was messy and her appearance was disheveled. Her top was a light pink, but some of the buttons were loose and others were hooked in on the wrong spot. The skirt that was originally knee-length was know up to her thigh and crinkled, the brown fabric wrinkling. Her shoes were fine, along with her socks, but her lips were fresh-kissed swollen. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"So, have fun with Sirius, Diana?" she asked while grabbing her potions book and shoving it into her bag. The girl named Diana blushed profusely and sat down at the table, along with Jess. Lily shook her head.

"How can you tell she was with Sirius?" Jess asked. Bella shrugged, leaning back in her chair with her ankles crossed on the edge of the table.

"Simple; he messes up everything, except the feet," she answered, gesturing at the girl's perfectly in order socks and mary-janes. "He said he doesn't like them, so he leaves them."

"He's told you this?" Lily looked skeptical. Bella grinned widely.

"Knowingly? Not really. See, I used Veritaserum, than erased his memory with a memory charm."

Jess laughed. "Brilliant, my friend, just brilliant!"

Lily giggled, nodding reluctantly even though it was against the rules to do such things. Diana tried to right herself, fixing her shirt and skirt before even trying her hair. Even though Bella had seen many girls come back from a trip with Sirius, this time it gave her a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Right now, her mind was conjuring up different ways to hex Diana into the next decade faster than a summoning charm.

"You realize this was a one time deal, don't you?" Lily demanded once her giggles had subsided. Bella and Jess turned to Diana expectantly, waiting for her to declare the undying love her and Sirius shared like so many others before her. But she just shrugged.

"I kind of figured that."

Jessica blinked rapidly, digesting the information, while Lily stared at the girl in shock. Bella, on the other hand, was fighting a smile.

_Good, so she does get that he doesn't spend more than one time in the broom cupboard with the same girl,_ she thought. Diana looked a little downtrodden at the confirmation that she wouldn't be getting a second round with infamous Black child, but when he walked through the portrait hole, her face lit up again. Bella's blue eyes narrowed.

_Ok, no she does not._

With a wave, Diana flounced over to Sirius, carefully making sure her skirt hiked back up her legs. Jess snorted.

"And here I thought the lass was different," she muttered. Bella nodded in agreement as Lily just shrugged, opening her book of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Her quill was in hand and she jotted down side notes in the margins, her auburn hair tumbling over her shoulder to create a curtain around her face. Bella, bored but not about to go upstairs, pulled out her own book. It was worn out and ripped with crinkled pages and she's already read it countless of times before, but she always reread it when she was in the mood. William Shakespeare's, Romeo and Juliet, was in her hands and her eyes scanned the lines given to each character.

Bella loved William Shakespeare's works, along with Charles Dickens, and Edgar Allen Poe. Most of the books she even owned were written by one of these writers or other eighteenth century and beyond writers. Over the top of her book, she noticed how Sirius and Diana were flirting relentlessly, making that pit in her stomach grow more ferocious.

"He is such a pig-headed git," Lily muttered before shutting her book, placing it into her bag, and stomping up the stairs. Bella watched her go curiously.

"What's gotten her bloomers in a bunch?" she asked. Jessica shrugged, using her wand to file her nails.

"Not sure, but it probably has to do with the fact that Sirius is a—" she formed her fingers into quotations "—'Pig-headed git.'"

Bella laughed, closing her book and shoving it into her bag unceremoniously. Her thick black hair was up in a ponytail which swished from side to side with each movement. Her blue eyes glanced back over at Diana and Sirius, only to catch them snogging shamelessly in the corner. Jess looked up from her nail filing and followed her friend's line of vision, stopping when she saw Sirius. Her tongue clicked.

"Well, look who's getting around today?" she muttered, snatching a wary glance at Bella. Currently, she was gripping her bag straps so hard that they were crinkling under her white knuckles. But other than that, she looked perfectly calm. She switched her gaze over to the window, watching as it slowly got darker and her jealousy suddenly disappeared.

_The moon should be coming out in an hour or so,_ she calculated. And sure enough, Remus stood up and excused himself from the common room, heading out the portrait hole with a shaky smile at his friends. Sirius actually managed to detach his self from Diana's lips to watch him go worriedly as the latter began to kiss his neck. Bella, sick of watching the two suck faces, stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"I'm going to go and…uhh…look around at the library," she lied to Jess, choosing the first thing that came to mind. She mentally slapped herself, scolding her churning mind for not using the kitchens instead; she never went to the library here unless to sneak into the Restricted Section. With the exception of going to have a snogging session with her latest crush; it was quiet and secluded, perfect for making out.

Jess raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Go to the library? What, are you going to check out a copy of Dream Oracle, seeing as you 'dropped' yours in the toilet?"

Bella snickered, remembering tossing it into Moaning Myrtle's toilet when her and Jess had reached the castle. She claimed she was performing an exorcism. Jess claimed she was being childish. Moaning Myrtle claimed she was just an insensitive prat before diving into the toilet, wailing pitifully.

"Hm…I had forgotten about that…but no, dear, I'm not. I'm actually going to see if they have any books on seeker moves I can try this year."

Bella smiled inwardly at her well-thought cover-up, thinking that Jess wouldn't be able to find anything wrong with it. And of course, Jess, already bored with the conversation, just let it pass and told her to watch out for Peeves; she had overheard him cackling manically which only meant he was planning. Bella promised before rushing out of the portrait, waving at James and Peter while ignoring Sirius and Diana completely. She walked over to a crevice in the wall, stuffed her bag inside, and than proceeded to take off down the hall towards the direction of the entrance. Curfew wasn't until ten and it was nine-oh-five, so she had plenty of time to walk out of the castle without causing suspicions.

Her robe was billowing around her legs and she stuffed her hands into her pockets, vaguely aware of the fact that the wind was picking up. She had only tried this transformation once or twice, so it she was a bit nervous about using it for a whole night. But the thought of Remus all alone on a full moon erased her doubts and replaced them with determination. This was the one thing she could do to help and, by gum, she would do it!

Now, if only she had asked James for his invisibility cloak…She was just now beginning to think of how to get back in to the castle in the morning without getting caught by Filch or his demon cat, Mrs. Norris.

"Why in the hell of it someone would name their cat Mrs. Norris is beyond me," Bella mumbled under her breath, still wondering why Filch had done so. She pretty much thought it was borderline animal abuse, but whatever; there wasn't anything she could do to save the poor creature now and so she let the matter go. Remus was probably already in the Shrieking Shack, waiting for the moon to show itself, so Bella decided to hide in the woods near the Whomping Willow until she could hear him transforming. She found a nice crevice in the roots of a tree, so she pulled off her robe and laid it down before sitting on top of it, her legs crossed serenely. She stared out at the Shack, watching as Madam Pomfrey left it, a look of sympathy and hopelessness adorning her features.

Bella sat in the roots for another hour, watching as fireflies and other miscellaneous bugs flew around the area, sometimes getting nicked by some unseen animal.

_Fairies,_ Bella decided, seeing a quick flash of light before it dove into the forest, giggling. And that's when she saw the moon reveal itself from behind some clouds. Bella stood up, brushing off her legs and smiling.

"Well, I do believe it's time," she announced into the night air. The moon had quickly been hidden by the clouds, so she decided this was her shot to turn before Remus did. Closing her eyes, she initiated the spell. Her mind began to shift, her bones and skin alternating as well. Her form crouched down on all fours as white fur began to take the place of her peachy skin. She kept her mind focused entirely on changing, so as not to hurt herself. She felt her ears move up her head and extend until they were pointed slightly; pink on the inside, white and furry on the outside. Her jaw moved and clicked into place, her teeth growing pointed and vicious looking. Claws erupted from her now white paws and a tail sprouted, swishing from side to side. Her jaw flexed into a yawn as the transformation finished and she let her wide mouth spread into a smile, her pink nose twitching slightly.

In the place of the fifteen-year-old witch named Isabella Serino, there stood a brilliant white tiger version, her fur shining as the moon finally revealed itself for good. The yells and cries of Remus' transformation were a bit too much for the tiger's ears and a small mewing whimper escaped her muzzle as she leaned her head down, covering her ears with her fluffy paws. The screams didn't last too long; in five minutes, Bella was pouncing toward the knot in the tree with such speed, the Willow hadn't even registered her presence until the know was hit and all was still. The white tiger lurched through the small entrance and bounded up the stairs, heading towards the Shrieking Shack's entrance. Her blue eyes, which had stayed the same during the transformation, looked up at the door and nudged it with her nose, pushing it open quietly. She crawled through, taking in the sight that was the Shrieking Shack.

Broken chairs and tables lay strewn across the wooden ground, pieces laying in odd angles and headboards twisted grotesquely. The window shutters were hanging pitifully, swinging in the breeze, making eerie creaking noises. The sounds of crashing and growling was coming from the other room, so, with a kick, Isabella Tiger sent the door slamming shut and she pounced into the room, swishing her tail from side to side elegantly. The large werewolf looked at his new companion, his large eyes filled with pain and confusion and animalistic anger. But the last feeling evaporated as Bella playfully tackled the large beast to the ground, whacking his head softly.

The werewolf hummed contentedly before doing the same to her and getting out of range, standing on his back legs like a human. Bella growled, lowering her front half to the ground in a crouch and shot up, only to hit the wall with a reverberating thud.

Remus Werewolf had moved at just the right time, sending Bella head-first into the solid wood. She fell to the floor, shaking her head from side to side before standing back up on her four legs. That would've given her a concussion if she had been human, but the animal was more than accustomed to this kind of rough housing; their bodies had been built to withstand such brutality. The two continued on like this, hiding from each other, and than pouncing, roughhousing playfully. The last attack Bella had attempted was probably her most pathetic and least effective all night.

Remus had been sitting on the floor of the bedroom, his hind legs spread out like a frog and his two front legs placed in between, steadying his self. His keen senses tried to detect where Bella Tiger was, only to have an ear twitch when he heard a loud noise to his left. Bella had tripped. Remus took a large step back as Bella pounced toward him. And, seeing as he had dodged, she went tumbling away. The werewolf watched, his head cocked to the side, until Bella's back hit the far-side wall. Her head and higher half of her body were on the floor, while her hind legs and lower-half were propped up against the wall. She blinked in confusion, sending the werewolf into howling fits of laughter. Bella squirmed, trying to right herself, for a few moments until she managed to fall on her side. She quickly shot up and shook herself, getting out of her momentary stupor.

And without any notice, the room was suddenly lit up with a bright light that could only be brought on by the sun. Bella, eyeing the clothes in the far corner, grabbed them up in her muzzle and walked over to the transforming Remus. His howls echoed until they were quieted. Bella, dropping the clothes, lowered her body to the floor, and brought her front legs up to cover her blue eyes, so as not to see a naked Remus. She felt the movement of the fifteen-year-old boy as he reached for the clothes and dressed his self. After a few moments of stillness, she mewed silently.

"…Bella?"

The white tiger cautiously lifted one paw before completely revealing her blue eyes and standing up. Remus, who was propped against the wall, stared at the tiger in shock and admiration. Bella whined happily and pounced on the poor boy, licking his cheek excitedly. Remus chuckled, gently pushing her off.

"Wow…you really did it…" he muttered, scratching behind her ear softly. Bella rubbed against his hand happily before she heard footsteps. Quickly, quietly, she darted into the closet, hiding among the broken pieces of past furniture as Madam Pomfrey walked in the room. The nurse scolded Remus for crawling over to corner to get his clothes in his condition, earning a purring laugh from Bella. It was quiet enough that it got lost in the heavy wind that was outside this morning. And, listening with her new found intense hearing; she noticed the plops of rain on the shack. She stuck her rough, pink tongue out of her mouth in a sort of pout.

_Fan-bloody-tastic…now I get to walk in the wind AND rain,_ she thought dismally. After a few minutes of silence, she figured it was now safe to leave and did so. Her paw swung out and hit the knot at the base of the Whomping Willow before prancing over to her spot she had been in yesterday night. Concentrating once she was hidden, she was soon back to her human self. She grasped her robe and wrapped it around herself, ignoring her soaking wet body and heading up to the castle. She was going to have to be very careful if she wanted to get by without getting caught. Before turning any corner, she quickly checked to make sure no one was around, and darted out from her hiding spot, only to do the same thing again.

_Almost there…,_ she thought with a smile, seeing the portrait of the Fat Lady from her spot. She whipped around, back into her hiding spot, counted to ten, and than swiveled back around.

"GAH!"

Filch stood there, his arms crossed and his sunken face set into a bone-chilling smirk. Bella _knew_ that smirk. She stood there, breathing heavily and holding her heart so that it wouldn't burst out of her chest.

"And where have you been?"

Bella thought for a second. She looked down at her wet attire and shrugged. "Visiting Myrtle; she's very upset right now. Apparently, some insensitive prat threw their Dream Oracle book into her toilet! Poor thing was so hurt by the person's lack of respect for the dead—"

"Enough of your excuses! To the Headmasters office," Filch screamed in triumph. Bella's shoulders slumped and she walked away, heading toward the two gargoyles that guarded Dumbledore's sanctuary. It was around a few bends and twists, but after a few moments of walking in an awkward silence, the two stone beasts came into view.

"Licorice Wand," Filch announced proudly. Bella sighed and walked onto the steps, which rose on command up to a large wooden door. A swift knock and two seconds later, a voice announced, "Enter!"

Bella walked into the large office sheepishly, Filch following, basking in his victory. Even looking a bit like a drowned child, Bella still managed to look ladylike and so, with a nod, she sat in one of the cushy armchairs across from Professor Dumbledore. The elder smiled kindly at the girl.

"So, what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?"

"Well, see Headmaster—"

"She was sneaking around, like I've told you! And…I…caught…her," Filch sneered. Bella rolled her eyes.

_Wow, he really needs to get a hobby,_ she observed, watching as Mrs. Norris entwined herself around her owner's leg. Dumbledore blinked slowly before turning to the drenched Bella. He raised a grey eyebrow.

"If what Mr. Filch says is true, may I ask the reason why?"

Bella nodded. "Like I've already told Mr. Filch, I was visiting Myrtle. Turns out someone threw a book into her toilet and she was upset, so I tried to calm her."

Dumbledore nodded, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles. "Yes, that would explain why you are so wet. Now, Mr. Filch, I think that's a very valid reason for her to be out and about, don't you? After all, poor Myrtle probably needed the comfort."

If Filch could get anymore sullen, it sure happened right than and there. "What? You don't honestly believe that rubbish?!"

"Do you have proof of anything other?"

Filch blanched for a minute. "Er…no, Headmaster Dumbledore, I don't. BUT I TELL YA, SHE'S LYING!"

Bella nearly cracked up at the sight of quiet creepy Filch blowing up like this. His face was beet red with anger and his eyes held a spark that borderline angry and disbelieving. It was rather hysterical, in Bella's opinion.

"You may go now," Dumbledore said, his voice amused and his eyes sparkling knowingly. Bella smiled and nodded before jumping up and out of the office, knowing full well that Dumbledore wasn't as clueless as he was letting on. The girl rushed down the stairs and out into the corridor, running the rest of the way to Gryffindor Tower. Unfortunately, while turning into the hallway right before the staircase that led up to the Fat Lady, she wet shoes kicked in. Her body went sliding past the entrance, her arms waving around in a desperate attempt at steadying herself, before she rammed face first into a broom cupboard. The force had knocked her back on her butt and she sat there, stunned at what had happened. She only shook out of her reverie when a flushed Sirius opened the door, a brow raising in question when he saw a wet and confused Bella on the floor.

"Bells? What are you doing on the floor?" he asked, secretly eyeing her figure. The clothes beneath her cloak were clinging to her figure nicely, causing Sirius to hold back a light groan of pleasure seeing her like that. Bella leaned to the side, looking past him to see none other than Cathy Ria in the closet, her pink bra the only thing on her chest. Bella shot up and shrugged her shoulders before marching away, not saying one word to the boy. This time, she was careful when turning the corner, and she walked up to the crevice, grabbing her bag, and heading up the moving staircase. But before it detached itself from the ground she had just stepped off of, another person hopped on.

"What's wrong, Bella?" Sirius' voice was something she didn't want to hear at the moment, but she smiled and turned around, cocking her head to the side in feigned confusion at his worried expression.

"Wrong? Nothings wrong, Sirius. I'm just tired," she half-lied. She was tired, but she most certainly was not…well, there was something wrong. It was the image of Sirius and Cathy in the cupboard together. It made her blood boil.

"Something's wrong, Bella. Tell me."

Bells mind was in a frenzied state, trying to come up with a way to get Sirius off her back. Than she remembered the Masquerade Ball that Lily had told her about coming up on Halloween. Even though that was a little ways away, everyone was already choosing their dates and Bella's suddenly popped into her head. She smiled mischievously and turned to Sirius. "Well…I am a bit nervous about the ball thing. Aren't you, lady killer?"

Sirius' tense body seemed to relax at the teasing tone Bella was using. "Nah, not really; I come from a high class family, remember? We learn to ballroom dance before we're potty trained. That always ended up in rather unmentionable messes, though, as you can probably imagine."

Bella laughed at his joke, even though she was still seething. "Well, that's certainly something for a klutz like myself to worry about, but it wasn't what was present in my mind when I said 'nervous.'"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what _was_ present?"

"The guy I like? You know the immature but remarkably sexy one? He asked me out and we're going together and I really don't want to screw it up, you know?"

Sirius' stomach dropped at the sound of her longest crush was mentioned. His eyes narrowed subconsciously. "Who's the bloke?" It was hardly a question; it was a demand.

"You remember Luke Terry?" Bella replied offhandedly, just now noticing how they had stopped moving and were standing in the middle of the now still staircase.

"Yes," Sirius ground out. Bella flashed a dazzling smile.

She had him right where she had wanted him to be.

"Well, there's your answer. Anyways, I need to go and take a shower; stupid Myrtle and her dirty toilet water." And with a flourish, Bella was flouncing up the stairs, reciting the password, and through the portrait hole.

_Only, my first choice was a bit too busy with Cathy's chest, so I have to settle for my second choice,_ she added mentally before walking into her dormitory and heading straight into the bathroom.

Sirius stood on the staircase, staring at the portrait, standing still. Only when two arms wrapped around his middle did he move.

"I got cold," Cathy whispered before kissing his neck seductively. Sirius's mind, however, was not on the half-clothed girl pressing against him, but rather on numerous different things he could possibly do to _Luke Terry_.

_I need to talk to the Marauders. Now._

**--**

**You know what would reeeealllyy make me happy? Reviews. Please? Pleaspleaseplease? **

**(bats eyelashes hopefully)**


	5. Hallway Kisses and Kitchen Talks

**A/N: THANK YOU ALL WHO REVIEWED! XD I feel soooo happy that ppl did review! ...is that weird? Oh, i don't care.**

**Chapter Five. Ok, welp, uhm...thoughts and spells might be a bit confusing, so here's a mini guidey thing b4 the chap:**

_"Spells!"_

_Thiking..._

**Ok? Like, there'll be " marks around spells with a '!' at the end. k? k. READ ON!**

Chapter Five: Hallway Kisses and Kitchen Talks

Weeks at Hogwarts quickly passed, the unseen tension between Sirius and Bella growing and becoming obvious to their friend's. Quidditch tryouts were probably the most exciting thing that had happened.

James, of course, had been very official and serious at the tryouts, being hard on everyone despite their age or friendliness. Jess had actually got so fed up with him that she managed to do three things to him: 1) hit him with a well-aimed bludger, 2) knock him through a goal post and 3) hit him over the head with her broom countless times. Despite her behavior towards the captain, she got the spot as one of the beaters because of the bludger incident; it was more precise than any of the other beaters and James couldn't pass that up, no matter the attitude of the player. Bella had, of course, gotten the role of seeker and Sirius had actually decided to try out this year. He usually just watched or played for fun, never tried out, but when he did, he got the spot of the other beater. Lily immediately thought it was because he was so close with the arrogant captain and made sure she had this opinion out in the open.

Bella and Jess had ignored her assumption while James flirted and Sirius laughed.

"Oi, Jess! Look, Hogsmeade is coming up!" Bella called out from the notice board, reading over the small parchment eagerly. Her blue eyes grew bright with excitement at the fact that they had actually upped the date to next Saturday, exactly a week from today. Jess nodded and grinned.

"Yep, it sure looks that way. OI, BLOKES, WHO WANTS TO GO ON A DATE WITH ISABELLA? DON'T WORRY; YOU'LL BE GUARANTEED A KISS!" she yelled offhandedly. Bella snapped her head in Jessica's direction, a dark and angry look filling her facial features. Jessica grinned innocently before plotting over to the couch and sitting down comfortably, watching as numerous boys rushed to Bella's side, asking her to Hogsmeade. Jess did this every Hogsmeade visit; she thought it was hilarious the way Bella got all of this attention that she really didn't want and always took advantage of it whenever she could. Bella was currently flustered, trying to let all the boys down gently, but kept getting interrupted by another invitation.

"What'd you do, Jess?"

The girl turned to the two boys who had just came in through the portrait hole, both set of eyes staring at the commotion by the notice board. Jess shrugged.

"Eh, the usual; poor Bells, she looks so helpless," she cooed, looking at her friend. Bella caught her gaze and in the second that the two pair of eyes connected, she sent a death threat. Jess leaned against the armrest of the couch. "Actually I take that back; she's very hostile."

James sat down in once of the armchairs lazily, bringing his legs up on the seat and crossing them serenely. Sirius sat down on the couch beside Jessica, glancing at the commotion out of the corner of his eye. Jess and James gave each other significant looks.

"Oi, Padfoot, what's the matter? You and Bella have kind of been…well…" Jess began, trying to think of the correct wording. Sirius glared at her, his handsome features twisting daringly. Jess tapped her chin, thinking, oblivious of the look. "Very…unfriendly, to each other lately; did something happen?"

Sirius scoffed, crossing his arms tightly and glaring into the roaring fire.

"How the bloody hell should I know?"

James cocked an eyebrow. "Uhm…because…you're involved…maybe…?" His voice had faded slightly at the withering look he got from Sirius. Jessica rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand, making the fire flicker with sharp flicks of her wrist. Bella was still being crowded and her patience was beginning to wear thin. She had already thought of telling the boys that she was going to Hogsmeade with Luke, but after hearing the Marauders plans to ambush her Hufflepuff Ball Date and shove him down the Giant Squid's throat, she decided against it. Of course, the boys had gotten hexed by her so bad after she heard of their plans that they just tended to stay away from the couple nowadays.

Bella remembered, during Divination, while relaying her dream of hammering Cathy into oblivion with a muggle tool, Luke Terry asking her out discreetly. Without hesitation, she agreed, seeing as he was her cover-up for 'being nervous' about the dance. Since then, whenever he saw her in the halls or outside, he'd join her.

It was getting rather irritating.

"Uhm…OK, LISTEN, PLEASE!" she finally cried over the boys' invitations and flirts and flattery. All mouths snapped shut and all eyes laid upon Bella and all her glory. She blushed at the attention and cleared her throat before continuing. "It's really very flattering that you all would like to go with me. But, sadly, I already have a date. Mike Cornell—" at the sound of the Ravenclaw boy's name, Sirius turned his attention to Bell as well "—asked me yesterday and I already said I'd go. I'm very sorry, but if you could please, stop attacking me with invites and such?"

Collective groans emitted from the boys and they dispersed, leaving a very hassled but relieved Bella in their midst.

If smoke could really blow out of people's ears when they were angry, Sirius would be surrounded by ear smoke. Isabella walked over to her friends and sat down on the ground, releasing a loud sigh.

"When do you think they'll get a clue, eh?"

"When you get married?"

"No, that's too fickle, Pete; how about, when you turn over and croak?"

Bella scowled at James and Peter, who were currently spewing random times when her admirers would leave her in peace.

"Morons…" Jess mumbled, staring at the ceiling in complete boredom. Sirius was sulking on his side of the couch, his arms still crossed and his features still scowling. Bella crawled over to the spot of floor near his half and poked his leg.

"You know, dear, if you keep your face like that, it might just stay that way. And you wouldn't want to ruin that pretty little face of yours," she stated innocently, grinning widely. Sirius looked down at her and rolled his eyes, ending his scowl for her benefit. "There you go; now, what's gotten up your ass? It's obviously not your wand, because you're holding it."

Sirius' scowl returned in an instant. "There is nothing up there, love. Just go ask Helena, Karrie, and Cathy for confirmation."

"Cathy **Ria**? Cathy…geez, Sirius, have you no self-respect?" Jess exclaimed, throwing three pillows at him simultaneously. He managed to dodge the first two, but the third one hit him square in the face. James' face was scrunched up in disgust.

"Geez Padfoot; you just get more and more needy," he stated before grinning cockily and laughing. Sirius couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face, no matter how annoyed he was at the moment.

"Oh…" Bella was momentarily stunned by his response. But she quickly hid her shock and smiled. "Well than, it just **must** be that time of the month! Ok now, Padfoot, that's enough PMSing."

Sirius saw through her indifferent façade and raised an eyebrow. "Don't tell me you've never been shagged before?"

Bella's pale face lit up red at the comment. From embarrassment or anger, it was uncertain. "That is none of your business, Sirius Black."

"I mean, you've been out with as much blokes as I have women! I find it hard to believe that you wouldn't have been in bed with one of them," he continued, ignoring her comment. Bella shot up, her eyes narrowing into dangerous slits. She pushed up the sleeves of her blue button-up shirt until they reached her elbows and pulled on the denim skirt she was wearing, hoping to cover more skin that it was made to do. Jess had picked out her outfit this morning as a dare.

"For you information, Black, I am still a virgin! Unlike the skirts you chase around all the live long day, I don't plan on wasting my virginity on a stupid crush," she spat hotly. A piece of curly black hair fell in front of her eyes but she quickly swept it behind her ear, still scowling at the shameless Black. The others were quiet, watching the scene intently. Sirius didn't like her accusation at all; in fact, he had actually only slept with two girls. He just added Cathy to get on her nerves.

"And what _do_ you plan on wasting your virginity on? _True love_?"

"Not true love; just love. I won't lose it because I got 'caught up in the moment', that's for sure," Bella snapped. She grabbed the elastic band from her wrist and shifted her hair into a loose, messy ponytail before waltzing over to the portrait. She turned her head and smiled at the group watching her, ignoring Sirius altogether.

"Well, I better go tell Mike that I accept his offer. Bye loves!"

And she was gone. The group of five was quiet until Jess turned to Sirius, looking ready to kill.

"I would get that ass of yours checked, Padfoot; I don't think the girls were telling you the truth when they said there was nothing up there," she said, her tone dark. She hopped off the couch, brushing off her mini-skirt calmly before walking up to the dormitories in search of Lily. She would absolutely murder Sirius for questioning Bella's virginity so openly. And Jess needed the entertainment.

"Your jealousy's showing, Padfoot," Remus reported casually, turning his attention back to the potions essay he was currently trying to finish. Sirius sent his friend a glare but said nothing to defend himself. The other's already knew of his attraction towards Bella; why hide his obvious feelings?

"That was a bit harsh, don't you think Pads?" James offered up, mussing his already untidy hair. Sirius just shrugged and yawned widely; acting as if Bella going off to tell Mike that she would indeed go out with him didn't bother him. Which, of course, it did. A lot.

Remus raised an eyebrow at his friend's sulking attitude, but before he could comment, Cathy Ria came flouncing down the stairs. She had actually changed in the past few weeks they had been at Hogwarts; her manly-ish features were gone, replaced with the revelation that she had rather womanly…uh…aspects. Of course, it did take all morning for her to get herself looking like she did. Her blonde hair was curled and cascaded down her back, still slightly steaming from the use of a muggle instrument called a 'curling iron.' Her long, tan legs were revealed with a blue corduroy mini skirt that barely even came to her mid-thigh. The pink-hued shirt she wore was cotton material and had white, floral designs all over it. Spaghetti straps kept falling on to her shoulders as she nearly squealed when seeing Sirius sitting with his fellow Marauders.

Remus was just about to warn his friend when Cathy all but pounced on the teenage boy. Sirius blinked multiple times before he realized it was a human being that had jumped him. Just when he was about to tell her to bugger off, a thought crossed his mind and a smirk took control of his lips.

"Hullo Cathy. What would you say going to Hogsmeade with me next week?"

/--/

"Oi, Mike!"

The mentioned Ravenclaw turned around at the sound of his name and saw Bella walking over to him, smiling happily. A grin overtook his face and he stood there, waiting for the girl to catch up to him. Bella was going over her acceptance sentence in her mind, making sure not to give him any unwanted assumptions. She may just be naïve, but she knew how their perverted minds worked when they actually got working. She was friends with Sirius, after all.

"Hullo Bella. It's nice to see you today," Mike said calmly. Isabella just nodded distractedly before taking a deep breath, reminding herself how much this was going to bother Sirius.

"I wanted to tell you that I'll go with you to Hogsmeade…as_ friends,_" she emphasized. Mike's eyes lit up at the sound of her answer to the invitation he had proposed to her yesterday. He nodded his head vigorously, hardly aware of the fact that Bella was no longer paying attention; after seeing his head bob once, she had turned around and stalked away. Her black converse made soft padding noises as she continued on, her head bowed slightly, stray pieces of hair overshadowing her eyes. She already knew that the trip to Hogsmeade was going to be long and annoying and boring and noisy and…boring. But what really got her mind churning was why she was going out of her way to make Sirius somewhat jealous. Well, she knew that she had an attraction to the young Black…but even with her more…uh…heated crushes, she would never go this far to make them jealous. It was befuddling and confusing and irritating and giving her a headache.

"Ugh…I'm just going to go up to my room and shut the door and throw darts at a picture of Sirius," she decided. Whenever she got annoyed by someone or aggravated, she would throw darts at a picture of their face; it was a way to get out her anger without getting a detention. But of course, she always gets detentions; usually for disturbing classes.

"Hi Bella," someone greeted. She nearly screamed in irritation when her blue eyes met gold ones. Why couldn't he have a life and leave hers alone?

"Hullo Luke," she muttered before continuing her trudge to the Gryffindor common room. It was raining outside, so that really was her only choice today. Luke, not getting the rolls of annoyance that were flowing off of Bella's body, followed her.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to Hogsmeade with me."

She sighed. "Sorry, but I'm already going with Mike Cornell."

Luke blinked in disappointment before his face twisted into a look of confusion. "I thought we were going to the Ball together?"

"Oh, we are, but…well, I thought I already told you," Bella began uncertainly. She had stopped and was currently leaning against the wall, her arms crossed and an apologetic smile gracing her lips. "I told you that we're going as friends. I'm not really looking for a relationship at the moment."

Luke's deep brown eyes looked, once again, disappointed, but he quickly cheered up. "Oh, ok! But still, it's a date!"

Bella's eyelids drifted to half-mast as she stared at the boy in front of her. Her lips turned down disbelievingly. After keeping the look for a few minutes, she sighed and nodded. "Yeah, fine, but don't expect anything too major to happen after the…date."

"You know, you look really nice today," he stated after a few moments of silence. Bella looked up from the floor, only to notice how close the boy had gotten. A blush crossed her cheeks at the proximity.

_I really shouldn't…_she debated, trying to fight the urge to kiss him. She liked Sirius, and she knew that, but…Well, he was the bachelor of Hogwarts. _He doesn't like me as more than a friend._

Luke closed the small space between their bodies and Bella smiled up at him shyly, pushing a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. She really did like Luke; he was a really nice guy and paid attention and he laughed at his self and had a nice sense of humor. She didn't like Mike; but she knew it would really bug Sirius if she went with him…Her heart squelched.

_That was mean, _she finally realized, ashamed. She shouldn't have accepted Mike's offer just to make someone jealous; it was shallow and something that Cathy would do. Bella's thoughts were cut off when she felt two lips press against hers. For a second, her eyes widened, but they quickly closed and she leaned in, kissing back. Luke's lips were a little rough, but his kiss was gentle, although a thick wanting underlined the innocent outlook; Bella's arms wrapped around his neck as he pressed her against the wall, pinning her there. They soon had to pull away from air, but the boy just moved his lips to her neck, kissing it softly. He nipped and licked at certain spots as Isabella arched her neck ever so slightly, giving him more access. Her eyes were still shut as she whimpered very quietly.

But the innocent part soon dropped and the kisses turned more intense. Bella pressed against Luke tightly, opening her mouth when he asked for entrance. She felt his hands slowly outlining the waistband of her skirt until they met the small of her back and he pushed her impossibly closer. It probably would've gone much further if someone hadn't ruined it.

"There you are, love."

The two teenagers stiffened and pulled away slowly, Luke kissing Bella softly once more. Bella opened her eyes slowly and glared at Sirius angrily, hyperly aware of the fact that Cathy was pretty much glued to his side. Black's face was set into a tight smile; one that hid the sudden flame of anger he felt lick his insides at the sight of Bella and Luke snogging. Luke removed his hands from Bella's back but took one of her hands in his firmly. The teenage girl felt her lips quirk at the corners in response to the gesture, but they quickly turned into a frown.

"Hullo Sirius, Cathy," she greeted politely. Sirius's grin faltered at her tone; it was false politeness and she hadn't really ever used it on a Marauder before.

"Why, hello Bella. Who's this?" Cathy asked smugly, her eyes glinting triumphantly. None of the company missed that. Nor did they miss the disbelieving smirk that crossed Bella's flushed face.

"And why are you looking so very…hm…victorious, Cathy dear?"

"Me? Why, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Bella's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I would tell you to stop acting dumb…if I didn't already know it's not an act."

Her rival's eyes widened for a second before she glared, leaning into Sirius, trying to send a message. Bella received it quite clearly: _He's mine now._

But Bella smiled widely, her politeness returned tenfold. "And this is Luke Terry. He's the one I'm going to the ball with." Sirius's eyes were narrowed into slits as he stared at the boy attached to Bella's hand. However, Luke was more interested in Bella, seeing as he was staring at her with a silly grin on his face. The said girl yawned widely and turned her dazzling smile to Sirius. "ANYway, sorry about being a bitch this morning Sirius; I just really don't like it when people question if I'm like Cathy; you know, a bit on the easy side."

"I didn't do that, love."

"Ah, but you did question my innocence. And you know that, just like you, most of my dates in the past have been 'one-time-only's. Although," Bella stated, smiling up at Luke. He smiled back at her, looking like a lovesick puppy. "I don't think Luke will."

Sirius didn't like the way the two were looking at each other. It made his stomach churn and his blood boil. Despite his raging feelings, he smiled charmingly. "If you say so, love."

Bella gave the couple a smile before walking away, pulling on Luke's hand slightly to get him to follow. As the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor made their leave, Bella turned her head and waved to Sirius, not realizing that at that very moment, he was thinking of twenty possible ways to send Luke Terry to Durmstrang with a tag that says: 'Hello, my name is Luke Terry and I'm a dirty rotten git who steals away women from their lovers!'

…

Ok, well, he knew he needed to work on it, thus the 'twenty possible ways.'

…

AND he knew that Bella and his self weren't exactly 'lovers'…but in his defense, if Luke hadn't stepped in, they very well could have been!

_I'm getting a headache…, _Sirius whined mentally, placing a hand to his head as Cathy chattered on and on about why wearing curlers to bed was such a bad idea.

/--/

"Well, Luke thanks for walking me all the way here. I know the Hufflepuff common room isn't anywhere near here," Bella said, remembering when James had plotted that certain room on the map. Apparently, it was under ground level, which was kind of ironic seeing as their label thing was a Badger.

Luke smiled widely, flashing his white teeth. On the way here, Bella had just began to notice subtle things about her newly acquired 'friend with benefits'; like how his hair was a brown color, with a few streaks of honey blond; and also, how he had a group of brown freckles littering his slightly crooked nose.

"It was no problem, Bella," he assured before leaning down and giving her a soft kiss. She smiled and watched him leave in a slight daze until she remembered she was waiting outside the entrance…with the Fat Lady looking at her with a knowing gaze…along with her friend Violet. Bella flushed.

"Well, well, well! He was handsome, was he not?" Violet said, winking suggestively at the young witch. The Fat Lady giggled.

"Oh, yes, he was! Very handsome indeed," she agreed with a nod of her head. Bella huffed.

"If you think he's so handsome, go chase after him yourself," she snapped irritably. Violet raised an eyebrow, a wicked smile adorning her pale lips.

"Hm, touchy, touchy…is it your time of the month, deary?"

Bella rolled her eyes, but flushed all the same. It actually was, to be perfectly honest; she had the mood swings, which was making her stomach stud turn colors so fast it looked like a fancy rainbow jewel. Bella swiveled her head around and began to walk away.

She was suddenly craving chocolate…and butterbeer…and other various digestible items…

_Wait, is that even a word? Oh, wait…yes, it is; Lily used it once._ With her mind suddenly cleared of the odd mystery, she continued on towards the Kitchens in search of some delicious and fattening food. Remus and her self were actually the ones to discover the entrance to the kitchens in third year; they had both missed dinner and were starving, so they went in search for some kind of eating place. Of course, they both kind of figured that it was a stupid idea, but they decided to go anyways. After about three hours of walking, they had come to rest as a large painting of a fruit bowl. And when Remus had leaned against the pear, it giggled.

Thus, the discovery was made!

It was now currently a favorite hangout for Bella, the Marauders, Lily, and Jessica, because, of course, Bells just had to tell them. She began to hum a tuneless song that echoed along with empty corridors, coming back to her like in a canyon. A mischievous smirk crossed her face and she pulled out her wand from her skirt pocket, placed it to her throat, and cleared her air passages.

_"Sonorous!"_

Bella's smirk grew and she placed her wand back in her pocket before taking a deep breath and saying, "Jessica Albert is undeniably off her rocker," in a soft voice. But of course, the spell just made her voice extraordinarily loud. She covered her ears as the noise rebounded off the walls everywhere, waking up sleeping paintings and shocking teachers and pupils alike. She began to snicker, which also echoed, than snapped her mouth closed before continuing on her jolly way. In between her spot where she had yelled and the fruit bowl painting, she had managed to trip four times and fall back on her butt several accounts.

Before tickling the pear, she mumbled, _"Quietus!", _reverting her voice back to normal instead of announcer loud.

Her pained pout turned into a dazzling smile as the Kitchens door swung open to reveal numerous eager House-Elves. Their large ears flopped everywhere as they bounced around the teenager.

"Miss. Bella, you're back!"

"What would Miss. Bella like?"

"Can Bubbles get Miss. Bella some sweets?"

"Or can Pumpkin get Miss. Bella a glass of butterbeer, yes?"

The fifteen-year-old witch giggled and walked over to a spot cushioned with pillows and blankets; Jessica had put it all there last year so that they wouldn't, quote, "…Bruise our asses every time we go to the kitchens!", unquote.

"I _would_ like some sweets and butterbeer, if you don't mind," Bella admitted, plopping down on the cozy spot. She situated her body at different angles, waiting for it to get comfortable. After a few minutes, she finally found comfort in having her legs and butt propped up against the wall while her torso lay on the ground.

It probably wouldn't be very comfortable to a normal person but…well, let's face it; Isabella Serino wasn't what one would define as 'normal.' Whatever the hell normal _is_.

"Here is your sweets, Miss. Bella," a female house elf squeaked excitedly. Bella smiled at the small creature and gently took the basket of mouth-watering food. She gave the elf a one armed hug.

"Aw, Bubbles; what would I do without you, eh?"

The elf named Bubbles blushed and bowed happily, grinning all the while.

"You would suffer most indefinitely, Misses!"

Isabella laughed loudly before blowing the elf a kiss and grabbing a cauldron cake from within the basket. She bit into it and chewed, than swallowed quickly. "Too true you are, Bubbles."

"Charming the elves again, love? Tch, and I thought you knew better."

Bella twisted her torso so that she was on her stomach and smiled over at Sirius, who was currently being hoarded by the eager elves. Well, besides Bubbles; she was like Bella's personal little elf. One particular elf bowed very low to Sirius and held out a bottle of butterbeer. Said boy smile charmingly before leaning down and kissing the elf on the head.

"Thank you, Pumpkin. You really are wonderful," he praised before walking over to the comfy corner. Isabella scooted over so that he had some room and smiled at Bubbles, who returned the grin before bustling back to work.

"And you accuse **me** of charming the lovely little creatures? Hypocrite," Bella cried dramatically. Everyone besides Lily really had their own little House-Elf, seeing as they were always down here. Lily mainly didn't go anywhere James was, so, yeah…that pretty much explains itself.

"Sweet?"

Sirius grinned and snatched a snack from the basket that Bella held out for him.

"Why, thank you. So, where's Eve, Pym, Minnie, and Binky?" he asked curiously, lying next to Bella. She shrugged her shoulders, finishing off her first cauldron cake.

"I don't know," she answered, wondering where the James's, Remus's, Peter's, and Jessica's personal little elves were. They usually come up to greet any one of them that came down to visit, but today, oddly enough, they didn't.

"Where's Cathy?" Bella inquired nonchalantly, trying to hide her spark of jealousy. Sirius groaned loudly.

"I don't know. She ran away when I told her that I didn't care about what kind of underwear her mother wears," he exclaimed loudly. Bella let out a relieved laugh, happy that Cathy had actually managed to still annoy Sirius to no end.

An awkward silence fell between the two friends, growing longer and more stressed with each second. Finally, Bella spoke up, staring at her chocolate éclair intently.

"Uh…Sirius? Yeah, I really am sorry for acting so…well, bitchy is the only word I can think of to describe it, so that's what I'm using. Hmm…wonder if that word's in the dictionary…ANYway, I didn't mean to bite your head off or anything like that. So, yeah…you know, now that I _actually_ think about it, I did over react just a smidge…tee hee…that's such a funny word, don't you think? I mean, whoever created 'smidge' must've had a great sense of humor…" She continued to ramble on about random things, switching from the word of 'smidge' to her inability to dance to the annoying voice that Professor Binns has.

Even though he really didn't have to, Sirius listened to every bit of her rambling with a grin. He really thought she was hilarious, even when she wasn't intending to be. He watched as she eventually swore about the 'damn ponytail holder' and pulled it out, mussing her hair with her hand before laying her head back on to the blankets. She kept fidgeting with her hands or legs, never just sitting still for even a moment. She would cross, than uncross, than re-cross her legs, than clench her fingers, unclench them, than re-clench them. And so on and so forth, until Sirius had forgotten which parts of her body were moving and which were staying still.

"…I really see no reason why we even _have_ Divination. I mean, honestly, how many times am I going to die in one week? Unless, you know, my great grandfather decides to hit me with one of his stupid arrows up in Heaven. Did you know my mum actually believes that we descended from Cupid, the damn man in a diaper with wings? And heart-shaped arrows? My mother is such a nutter…well, I guess it explains why I'm the way I am. Heh, Merlin, I don't think anyone's as nuts as my grandma though…Hm…Wait, what were talking about again?" Bella finished, her brow scrunching in confusion. Sirius couldn't help it; he laughed. How they had gotten from her unneeded apology to how nuts the female members of her family were was beyond him, even though he could probably relay every word of her rambling session to anyone who asked.

Bella frowned. "What is so funny? Seriously, what were we talking about?"

Sirius continued to laugh at her confusion, holding his sides as Bella pouted. She grabbed a random piece of sweet in the basket and was about to throw it at him when she realized it was a chocolate muffin. She put it beside her. "Nope, definitely don't want to waste that."

Again, she dove her hand into the basket, searching for something. She pulled out a cauldron cake and whipped it at Sirius, hitting his head dead-on. She stuck out her tongue when he began to pout.

"You're very abusive, you know that, love?" he inquired before eating the small cake. He was still grinning from his laughing fit as Bella pulled her legs off of the wall. She let out a small sigh of content when her legs were spread out in front of her and she placed her back was against the back of a counter.

"Hm, much better; my legs were beginning to cramp up from that stupid position," she stated as if it was a world discovery. Sirius snickered before nodding towards the chocolate muffin she had saved.

"Are you going to eat that?"

"Yes, I am, thank you very much!" Bella answered haughtily before stuffing it into her mouth whole. She began to move her jaw up and down, trying to break the pastry down.

"You know, love, that probably wasn't very smart," Sirius stated, noting how she still looked as ladylike as ever as she chewed slowly. She held up a finger, signaling him to wait a minute for her response. She continued to chew and once it was all swallowed, she grabbed the bottle of butterbeer, poured herself a glass and chugged it down, being careful not to spill. She gasped when it was all down.

"Yes, I figured that once it was already in my mouth," she agreed calmly. Pumpkin rushed over and was about to take away the bottle of butterbeer, but Sirius shook his head and lolled it to one side drunkenly.

"Nah, leave thaw bawtle," he slurred. Bella broke out in uncontrollable laughter at his attempt at seeming drunk. Pumpkin blinked her large eyes before covering her mouth and giggling slightly.

"Oh, okay, Mr. Black," she stated before patting his head lovingly and hopping off. Bella continued to laugh, holding her stomach in an attempt to stop the spasms that her giggles were causing. Sirius blinked slowly, his eyes having a feigned haze over them.

"Whha's so fun-e?" he drawled, causing Bella to snort. She covered her nose in horror as Sirius blinked before breaking into laughter that sounded curiously like a dog at times. She joined in again, trying desperately to stop because she kept snorting when her lungs weren't getting enough air.

"Oh—Oh—Oh no!" she laughed in embarrassment and another snort broke through. Sirius was just calming down when she snorted again and his laughter returned tenfold, taking control of his body. Just when Bella was about to start writing her will on the kitchen tile, she felt ice cold water spill all over herself. She yelped and hopped up, trying to shake off the water futilely. She saw Sirius on the floor, gasping, trying to regain his breath, than turned to the two beaming House-Elves, each holding a now empty pitcher. Bubbles bowed.

"Are you better now, Misses?" she asked innocently, batting her large eyes hopefully. Bella tried to glare, but failed miserably and fell down on the blankets, breathing heavily from her laughing fit. She nodded.

"Yes, I am. Thank you Bubbles," she muttered, her face turning back to its usual pale texture. Well, until she caught Sirius' grin; than it turned red again. He crawled over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, placing his mouth next to her ear.

"I had no idea you snort when you laugh, love," he mused quietly. Bella's blush increased and she could've sworn that she resembled a cherry tomato.

"Well, now you do, dear," she replied politely. He laughed and kissed her temple softly, causing Bella's heart to jump in her chest erratically.

"Yes, I suppose I do."

His breath fanned over her face, giving her the scent of butterbeer, chocolate, and a distant tint of mint.

_Probably from his toothpaste, _Bella noted mentally. The two stayed like that, his breath coming steady against her temple, where his lips were still positioned.

"Hey, Sirius…?" Bella started, a thought striking her. His stormy gray eyes were closed serenely as he nodded, to indicate that she had his attention.

"Uhm…well, do you think Slughorn's related to Santa Claus?"

Sirius lifted a brow quietly before opening his mouth. "I'm sorry, what?"

His lips grazed her skin and Bella temporarily lost her train of thought. "Uh…hm…OH! Well, I mean, he's huge and…ok, well, he doesn't have a beard…or red cheeks…but, I mean, he's HUGE!"

Sirius laughed and shook his head slowly; his mouth moved across her skin, leaving warm sensations that spread to the rest of her body.

"Is there some kind of make-believe genetics in your family, love?" he whispered teasingly. Bella frowned in confusion. He must've sensed it because he elaborated. "I mean, what with your mum thinking you're a descendent from Cupid and now you saying Slughorn's related to Santa Claus."

"Oh…hm, no, I don't think so, but that is definitely something to think about…Well, whatever," she stated with a shrug, leaning into Sirius slightly. His unoccupied arm found its way around her waist and pulled her closer discreetly.

And they both thought that nothing could ruin the moment, like in those cheesy romantic novels and movies.

But they really underestimate James.

"HULLO, LOYAL LITTLE ELVES!"

Bella yelped slightly, but didn't move when she heard Sirius release a sharp breath. "Prongs, you prat…"

The two pulled away quietly, Bella's face heating up when James came around the counter, grinning widely. Remus, Peter, Lily, and Jessica were all following behind, Lily looking rather reluctant. Sirius made a point to glare at James until his knickers flew off.

Which, of course, they didn't, seeing as that's a metaphor.

"Hullo lovelies," Jessica greeted, plopping down next to the still red-faced Bella. James hopped over to Sirius before sitting down happily, bouncing slightly in his seat. Remus rolled his eyes, but smiled despite his self and sat down on Sirius's other side and between Jess. Peter sat beside James and Lily sat on the unoccupied side of Bella, next to Peter, so now they formed a circle. Starting from Bella and going clockwise, it went, well, Bella, obviously, than Jess, Remus, Sirius, James, Peter and the lovely Lily. The basket of sweets and bottle of butterbeer sat in the center and everyone began grabbing some sweets as Bubbles and Pumpkin walked over to greet everyone.

"Hello Bubbles, Hello Pumpkin. Now, if you don't mind me asking, where's Pym?" Remus inquired. Pumpkin brightened, grinning so widely it looked as if the smile who crack her peach face. But alas, it did not, much to the pleasure of the gathered witches and wizards.

"Pym, Eve, Minnie, and Binky all goed to a cooking class, Misses and Misters," she cheered. Sirius smiled at his little house-elf fondly.

"Pumpkin, 'goed' isn't a word. But 'went' is," he stated calmly. Pumpkin blinked her large eyes before nodding her head vigorously and grinning again.

"Much thanks, Mister Sirius!"

James pouted. "Aw, I won't be able to see Minnie!"

"Oh, shut it, Jamie. I don't get to see Eve either, but you don't see me pouting," Jess snapped irritably. Bella poked her friend gently.

"No, but you did just bite poor James's head off. Not that he uses it much, mind you," she told her friend, snickering at James's offended face. He was so much fun to pick on. Remus chuckled.

"Well, no arguments there," he said. James gaped at his friend.

"MOONY!"

"Yes, Prongs?"

The glaring James and smiling Remus were now the center of attention, each staring each other down, even though Remus really was just staring; not trying to burn James like the latter was attempting with his scowl. Peter was sitting there, his arms crossed and a look of sadness etched into his features.

"I miss Binky," he mourned. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"You just found out that she's gone, Wormtail."

"And now I'm missing her!"

The girls all looked at each other and giggled at the boys' behavior. James was still having a glaring/staring contest with Remus while Peter and Sirius began to argue about Wormtail missing Binky; even though he just found out she wasn't around. Bella smiled at each boy fondly, than at Lily and Jessica, loving each one of them so much.

Of course, some of the love she held for a certain individual was a bit different from the love she held for the others.

She just didn't know it yet.

--

**I personally like this chapter the best so far. ANYways, just so you ppl know, all my info is completely valid. Like the spell, Sonorous? Yep, its real. heres the website i get my finformation from: hp-encyclopedia(dot)com**

**Oh and please review! Please? Also, I'll need a bit of help with Binky's, Pym's, Eve's, and Minnie's personalities, so if you want to send some info on what you think they should be like, I'll give ya credit! Promise!**

**I'm thinking of changing the rating from T to M, just in case...but idk yet...hm...sorry, randomness! **

**Hm...that was a long AN...bleh. **


	6. Potions Problems Mixed With Frustration

**A/N: I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO SORRY!! I know it's been FOREVER since i updated and I'm so so so so sorry for it! I just started High School and i had a football game on Friday and an appointment...aw, you don't wanna hear my excuses. But i really am sorry and once school gets a little more comfy, I'll start updating a LOT faster. I promise!**

**Disclaimer: Uh-huh...No way? I'm _not _J.K. Rowling?! So i _don't _own Harry Potter or James or Remus...OR SIRIUS?! Well, crap.**

Chapter Six: Potions Problems Mixed With Frustration

"Ok, that's it, I give up! No more stupid potion making for me," Bella declared, crossing her arms and glaring spitefully down into her cauldron. It was now Tuesday and everyone was currently in, you guessed it, Potions. Slughorn was, as usual, praising Lily or Snape on their excellent skills while everyone else struggled to even get the color correct, let alone the whole potion. Bella wasn't paying attention as to what potion they were creating, but she did know that it was supposed to be a gray-color with the smell of lavender.

Hers was a purple color with the smell of smoke.

Jess peered into her friend's cauldron and frowned, poking a finger into the mixture. After a second of her pinky being immersed in the water, she pulled back with a cry. "BLOODY HELL! Ouch, pain, ow, ow…Merlin, Bells, what did you _do_ to it?"

Bella blinked before looking at Jessica's now green pinky. She could practically see it throbbing, but what was worse was that it was growing in size. "Hm…not sure really, but, uhm, Jess? Yeah, you're finger's beginning to resemble Godzilla."

Jess looked at her friend blankly. Bella rolled her eyes and waved a hand dismissively.

"It's from a muggle movie. Never mind it," she said in a rush. Looking back at her friend's pinky, which was now the size of James' ego, she frowned deeply. "Dear, you should really get going to see Madam Pomfrey…"

Jess finally spared a glance at her pained hand and let out a choked wail. Raising her non-mutated arm, she looked at Professor Slughorn desperately. "Professor, I really need to go see Madam Pomfrey!"

The said teacher glanced over at the girl, than nearly toppled over in shock at the sight of her abused finger. Quickly, he escorted her out of the room, but not before giving Bella a very stern look that clearly stated, "Back away from the cauldron and empty its contents before someone else needs to go to the Hospital Wing."

Isabella, who was quick to understand messages given through looks, hurriedly emptied her cauldron and sat down in her chair, folding her hands in her lap while pursing her lips to stop the profanities from spilling out of her mouth. The class was unusually silent until a Slytherin girl tapped Bella's shoulder. She spared a glance behind her by tilting her head to the side slightly.

"What did you do to her, Serino?"

Bella shrugged meekly, than turned her attention back to the chalkboard, its face still scribbled on with the instructions for the day. She sighed heavily.

_I'm going to die tonight. Wonder if I can sleep on the couch?_ Her thoughts continued to swirl around the anger that Jess was sure to accommodate when her pinky was healed. She cringed at the different things Jess could do to her in her sleep and finally made the decision that, no matter what, she was going to sleep on the couch. There was no way she would share a room with a revenge-thirsty Jessica Albert.

Once, Cathy had managed to stain all of Jess's robes pink. The next morning she was found sleeping on the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, wearing pink undergarments and a banner was hanging over her head that said, "Will give lap-dances for clothes."

Yeah, after that, everyone knew not to mess with Jessica.

Lily walked over to the bored Bella, staring at her cauldron with a wary look; as if she was afraid it might come alive. And knowing Bella's poor potions skills, this was a rational fear.

"Bella, tell me exactly what ingredients you added," she stated after taking Jessica's empty seat. Bella sighed again.

"I put in Unicorns Hair, Trolls Nails, Bat Wings, Bezoar…" she stated, counting each one off on her fingers. Lily groaned loudly, smacking her forehead in disbelief. Bella looked over, four fingers outstretched to indicate the ingredients. She blinked.

"What?"

"A Bezoar? Bells, you were supposed to put in **Doxy Venom**!"

Bella's mouth made an 'O' shape and she grinned. "Well, that would explain Jess's disfigured hand, I suppose! Oh well, what's done is done!"

Lily scowled. "Bells, you're not taking this seriously."

"Are you expecting me to? Because if you are, Lily dear, you are expecting way too much from me, I am sad to inform you," the Italian girl stated, watching as her blue nails slowly changed to purple. The effects of the changing nail-polish was beginning to wear off, so the colors were moving at a slower pace than before. Lily just shook her head and stood up, only to return a few moments later with her cauldron and ingredients.

"I'm almost finished, so we can leave together soon, ok?" she muttered, pouring a small vial of thick blue liquid into her cauldron. Bella scowled at the forgotten ingredient to her own potion: Doxy Venom.

"Mm-hm, thanks Lily. But honestly, I thought we were supposed to use a bezoar!" she finally defended. Lily scoffed slightly, beginning to stir her contents clockwise.

"Why would you need a Bezoar, which is used in anti-poison potions, to make a potion that's supposed to make people pass out?"

Bella snickered. "Is that what this potion was for? That's rather amusing; mind if I have a vial of your finished product?"

Lily's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason, no reason!" Bella declared, holding her hands up in surrender. The innocent glint in her eyes would convince anyone who hardly knew the girl. But Lily was not one of these people and, instead of giving in to Bella's pouts; she put a hard face on and said one word:

"No."

"Oh, come on, Lils! I won't use it in school, I promise!" Bella pleaded. Her voice was just as polite as always, but it held a hint of whining, just like it always did when Lily pulled this 'be responsible' act. Said girl swished her head from side while changing directions and churning her potion counterclockwise; Bella glared.

"If you want some so bad, go ask the Marauders; just don't involve me in any plans your making, ok?" Lily murmured after a bit of sulking silence. Bella brightened up and hopped out of her chair before waltzing to the back of the class, where James and Sirius were currently throwing ingredients at each other. Bella plopped down in an empty seat and grinned widely, attracting the attention of all four boys. Remus raised an eyebrow, knowing that look; he was friends with James and Sirius, after all.

"What're you up to?"

Bella's face contorted into one of mock hurt. "Why, Remus! Whatever do you mean? Can I not visit my friends during this waste of time they call a class?"

Sirius snorted but smiled at her. "Obviously not, considering you're always a bit too busy hurting people with your concoctions. What happened to Jess, anyways?"

"She stuck a finger into my potion."

James choked on some air. "That's it? All she did was touch the stuff?"

Bella shrugged and nodded shamelessly. "Yeah, pretty much. Anyways, will any of you be willing to give me a small vial of this stuff? I mean, I would try and make it again, but considering what just happened, I think it'd be safer if I ask to borrow some of yours."

James nodded in agreement. "Yes, you don't want to poison whoever you're planning on using this on."

Bella scowled as Peter broke into laughter, indulging the already big-headed James, who looked triumphant at his teasing. She was just about to jinx him when she felt someone grab her chin gently and moved her head to face them. She had to blink four times rapidly before she realized it was Sirius who had been so bold. She sighed suddenly.

"Geez, you kind of shocked me, Sirius!" she exclaimed dramatically. But at first, he didn't respond; in fact, when she had sighed and her breath hit him square in the face, his eyes had closed and a grin spread across his face. Bella blinked before leaning forward and feeling his face; it had gotten a little red.

"Are you okay, Padfoot? You're foreheads kinda warm…" she muttered. She did even notice that she was no more than an inch away from Sirius's face. It literally took all the self-control he had not to pull her closer, whisper something charming, and kiss her right than and there. But it worked and he just opened his eyes and grinned at her before playfully swatting her hand away.

"I'm not sick, love. But it is just ever so consoling that you're worried about me," he teased, leaning back in his chair so as to distance himself from the object of his affection. He knew that if they stayed that close for much longer, his self-control would disappear altogether. Bella rolled her eyes, than batted her eyelashes.

"Why wouldn't I? We wouldn't want Hogwarts number one Playboy to get sick, now would we? What would the female population do without your handsome features?" she asked, horror filling her voice although a grin stayed firmly planted on her lips. Sirius flipped his hair flamboyantly, giving his friends all a male model look.

"I can't argue with you there," he announced slowly. Bella giggled behind her hand, trying not to 'ruin the moment,' but James soon laughed loudly before throwing a well-aimed Crocodile Heart at his friend. A soft plop was heard as it smacked Sirius on the top of the head. His eyes traveled upwards and he glared, even though he couldn't see the offending object. Bella laughed, stood up, and reached over to remove it for him.

"Merlin forbids you touch such a disgusting object," she teased brightly. Her fingers gently grazed through his hair as she pulled out the ingredient and tossed it on the desk before leaning back on her chair, pretending that she didn't even notice how soft Sirius' hair was. And he, of course, didn't miss the small touch. Remus was watching his two friends, an eyebrow raised and a smirk adorning his features. James, on the other hand, was staring at the front of the class, no doubt drooling over Lily. Peter was fidgeting in his seat and Bella gave him a sympathetic look.

_Poor thing…he really is an awkward kid._

"Ms. Serino, what are doing back here?"

Bella yelped suddenly and jumped into the air at the newest, unexpected voice that entered the room. With another startled yelp, she began falling backwards and grunted when her chair made contact with the ground. She blinked rapidly, trying to figure out what had just happened, when James broke into loud, reverberating laughter. Sirius's laughter soon added to it, although he stood up and kneeled down beside the still shocked Bella.

"You know, you have as much grace as a Giant, love," he observed teasingly. Bella, breaking out of her stupor, glared at him before struggling to get back up on her legs. With another bark-like laugh, Sirius had wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her up as if it was nothing. She was remarkably light for a girl who plays Quidditch every year for Gryffindor and during her summer vacation, when she has the chance.

"I wasn't put on the Earth to be graceful, dear," Bella replied, brushing off her robes as she gave Slughorn an apologetic smile.

"And what were you placed here for?"

Bella looked at him and her eyes sparked. "Well, let's see; how about to wipe that cocky smile off your face every chance I get? Is that a good answer?"

Sirius raised a brow. "Hm…a rather hostile one, but yes, it is a good answer. It's wonderful to know that at least someone's live revolves around me."

Bella rolled her eyes, but laughed nonetheless as she walked back up to take her seat. Sirius watched her walk away, his eyes locked on her body until it fell into a chair sloppily. He folded into his own, listening as Slughorn began to scold Bella.

"Ms. Albert will be in the infirmary for the rest of the day because you didn't manage to pay attention!" the Professor declared. Bella bit her lip.

"…The whole day?"

"Yes!"

"Oh. Well…crap."

Lily choked on her laugh and quickly turned it into a cough; she knew why Bella's face was suddenly twisted up into a look of fear. If Jess had to spend the whole day in the Hospital Wing, someone was going to pay. And that someone was sitting just beside her. Not that Bella couldn't handle Jess, oh no, but she just didn't want to; Jessica would get over it after the night.

Before Slughorn could continue his rant, the bell rang and everyone filed out of class, Bella the most eager.

"Remind me to never be your potions partner, Bells," James mocked happily, striding up beside her. Lily, who Bella was also walking with, glared at the boy as he ruffled his hair needlessly. As Bella watched James try, once again, to flirt with Lily, she felt someone wrap an arm around her shoulders.

"You do realize that Jess is going to kill you, right love?" Sirius inquired, innocently curious. Bella rolled her eyes but smiled at him all the same.

"Well, it's crossed my mind once or twice, yes."

"Which means, you'll probably need some protection," he continued, acting like Bella hadn't spoken. His face was lit up with a cocky smirk as he stared down at Bella, who raised an eyebrow.

"Mm-hm…and what kind of protection, Mister Black?"

"Well, the most efficient kind, of course! You wouldn't want some protection that was rubbish, now would you?"

"No, I suppose not."

"So, naturally, you'll need someone who could protect you very well."

Bella may have been imagining it, but she thought there was a hidden message in that statement.

"Oh, yes, you're right! And I know the perfect person!" she cried out happily, snapping her hands together excitedly. She opened her mouth, than abruptly turned away from Sirius and looked straight at Remus, a look of pleading on her face. She pushed her lower lip out further and glanced at the stunned Sirius for a second before continuing onward.

"Will you keep Jess away from me, Remus? Puh-LEAASE!"

Moony raised an eyebrow, than glanced at Sirius discreetly. The latter was currently pouting, looking away from the scene unfolding, and Remus smiled, turning his attention back to Bella, who was still pleading with the puppy-dog pout.

"Sorry, Bells, but I don't think I could stop someone like Jess; she can be rather terrifying when she's mad. But I believe Sirius could be of assistance here," he implied calmly. Bella blinked before breaking out into a grin and spinning around, clutching Sirius's arm like a child. She stared up at him with her puppy-dog look. She really should get that patented; it works miracles.

"Will ya? Because I don't wanna die!"

Sirius beamed down at her, but soon put a look of thought on his face. He tapped his chin for good measure.

"Well, I'm not sure…"

"Please? I'll do anything!" Bella pleaded, her face distorting into another puppy-dog pout. Sirius smirked and she backed away from him, suddenly regretting her last statement.

"Anything?"

"Uhh…"

"Well, I still need a date to the Ball," he stated offhandedly. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"So you want me to find you a date? Can't you do that yourself, eh?" Bella muttered, crossing her arms and turning away, a sudden of spark of an intense emotion flaring in her chest. Her brow creased as she tried to figure out what it was and nearly had a stroke as it hit her. She was jealous.

_Che, as if, I am _not_ jealous,_ she thought stubbornly. Sirius cocked his head to the side in innocent confusion at the suddenly hostile look that adorned Bella's face. He copied his actions from earlier and grabbed her chin, turning her head until their eyes connected. He raised an eyebrow.

"Find me a date? Oh no, I wouldn't ask that of you."

"Oh…well, good, bec—"

"I want you to be my date."

Bella's mouth was left hanging open, her unfinished sentence forgotten. Her purple eyes were slightly wide as she stared at the grinning Sirius. James was staring at Padfoot with a look of annoyance mixed with admiration on his face while Peter kept looking between the boy and girl, eagerly awaiting Bella's worded reaction. Remus was watching over his Transfiguration book as he leaned against the wall, a look of amusement on his face. It took a few moments of silence until Bella shook herself out of her stupor. She blinked.

"Mmm…what did you say?"

"Well, it would be so much easier than asking some girl out who would be attached to my damn side all night," he explained casually. But despite his excuse, he winked at Bella. "Besides, who wouldn't want to take Isabella Serino to the Halloween Ball?"

She sputtered. "W-Well…b-but! Ugh! Sirius, I'm already going with LUKE!"

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the mention of her date. "Your point, Bells?"

"I already have a date!"

"So…let him down gently, love," Sirius advised with a smile. Bella huffed, crossed her arms, and began to walk away.

"Sorry, Sirius, but I don't need your protection anymore."

Sirius watched her go, pouting very slightly, but he just shrugged, pretending like it didn't matter. Pretending being the key word, of course; James patted his friend on the back.

"Don't worry, mate; she'll come around. Just like Lily!"

Sirius groaned and banged his head against the wall. "She's never going to go out with me!"

/././

"He what?!" Lily screeched. Bella nodded frantically, pacing the Hospital Wing floor with long elegant strides. Her hands were clasped behind her back and her face was scrunched up into concentration.

"And you said _no?!_" Jess exclaimed sternly. Bella stopped, giving her friend a heated glare.

"Of course she did; she's already going with Luke!" Lily stated incredulously. Jess shrugged.

"He seems nice, so I'd think he'd understand if you turned him down."

Bella mulled over that statement while lifting her leg, continuing her pacing. Although her head hurt from Jess's painful punch for her deformed finger, she thought through her emotions about what had happened earlier and different ways to possibly tell Luke she couldn't go with him, if she were to go with Sirius. But she stopped abruptly, her lips turning downwards into a deep frown.

_But I don't need protection anymore. So why would he anyway?_

"—right, Bells?" Jess declared, glancing at the spacing Bella. Jess's narrowed eyes were locked on Lily until she realized that Bella hadn't answered her and she turned, raising an eyebrow at the far away look on her friend's face. Grabbing a nearby pillow, she threw it and hit Bella's hip. The teenager glanced down at the spot, than at Jess curiously.

Jess sighed. "You weren't listening."

"Uh, no, not really, no," Bella admitted sheepishly. Lily sighed dramatically, running a hand through auburn locks. Her green orbs locked on Bella and they narrowed.

"So."

"So…what?"

"UGH! What are you going to do, Izzy?"

"Oh…ignore the situation altogether."

Jess and Lily looked at their friend in disbelief. Bella stared back, looking completely serious.

"You can't be serious."

"Well, I'm not! Last time I checked, I was not a bloke!"

"AGH!" Lily cried in exasperation. Jess clicked her tongue.

"That joke is extremely overused."

Bella sat down on the bed beside Jess's and shrugged, playing with a strand of black hair carelessly. Her eyes scanned the empty room sightlessly, her mind more on the fact that Sirius had asked her to the ball. Even if it was just to avoid annoying fangirls, he had still done it. Lily was going on about how she couldn't ignore the situation while Jess was listing off different 'Sirius/Serious' jokes. Bella really did like Luke and that kiss in the hallway was amazing…but it really wasn't comparable to the time she spent in the kitchens with Sirius. Suddenly, everything that was foggy on the situation cleared up and she stood, heading out the Hospital Doors.

"Where are you going?" Lily called. Bella just waved a hand before shutting the doors behind her. Lily stared at the doors confusedly as Jess continued to list off jokes.

"Oh, and there's 'No, I'm not Sirius; he's over there!'"

/././

"Luke! Oi, LUKE!"

The said Hufflepuff turned around after hearing his name and smiled at the approaching Bella. She ran up to him, huffing and puffing, trying to catch her breath. Her hands on her knees, she leaned over, breathing deeply. Suddenly, she popped back up and smiled at Luke.

"Hey! Uh, I was wondering if we could, you know…talk." The last word came out a little lamely and she would've kicked herself if she knew how. Making a mental note to ask Lily if that's possible, she sat down on a nearby stone bench in the hall, making room for Luke. He sat down calmly, watching Bella interestedly. She was currently fidgeting with the hem of her school skirt, her head ducked as she watched her fingers. After a few moments, she took a deep breath and looked up at Luke, an apologetic sheen to her eyes.

"Ok, I'm going to sound like a major jerk right now. I just…well, I really like you and all, but it's more on a…friendly field than anything else. Truth be told, I actually like someone else. And I know I said I'd go to the ball with you, but…" she stated, shrugging meekly, allowing her voice to trail off. The boy stared at Bella for a long time before smiling smally.

"Alright, I understand. But we're still friends, right?"

Bella looked up, analyzed his expression, than nodded. "Of course we are. You're really cool and nice and everything, but just not the guy for me."

Luke smiled wider and nodded slightly. Bella watched, and behind the cheerful outlook, she saw just a bit of hurt, making her feel even worse than she was already feeling. "Maybe I can ask out Patty…"

"Oh, yeah, you should! She's so much fun! She's like this little bundle of sunshine that never goes away! Oh and she's majorly shy, so make sure you get to know her before popping the question," Bella rambled mindlessly, hoping to make up for her jerkiness. She continued to list off different tactics for him to use in order to ask out her roommate. Luke absorbed all the information like a sponge, listening intently to everything that Bella was saying.

"Hey Bells!"

Bella's head snapped to the side, looking for the caller. Her eyes landed on a messy-black haired boy with glasses and she smiled.

"Hey James, where are the others?" She looked around, suddenly on alert in case they were going to 'test' a prank on her. James gestured towards the Quidditch field outside and held up his broom, which Bella just realized he had been holding.

"Playing Quidditch…well, Peter and Sirius are. Remus is watching."

"There are only three of you playing?"

"Hm? Oh, no, Kelly, Jenny, Dan, Helen, and Will are playing; it's three on three. You wanna come and watch?"

Bella's eyes lit up, but she glanced at Luke hesitantly. She bit her lip, trying to think of what to do. Luke laughed and stood up, shouldering his messenger bag.

"Don't worry, Bella; I have to get going anyway," he assured before waving and heading off. Bella shot up, waved back, than turned to James, who was already on his broom and waiting for Bella. She hopped on behind him, hanging on to the wooden device as James kicked off, flying into the air. Bella's black hair flew backwards and she laughed happily, loving the feeling of being free in the breeze. Her eyes closed and she leaned her head back slightly, smiling widely. The cool air felt good against her skin and much too quick for her liking, they landed on the pitch. Sirius and Dan were beating the bludgers back and forth before the game that was about to take place, warming up with much harder hits than necessary. Kelly, who played keeper, was floating around the goal posts, her beady eyes alert and ready to go. Jenny, who was chaser, was tossing the quaffle back and forth, her black hair tied tightly into a bun. One of the seekers, Helen of Ravenclaw, was flittering around on the ground, just dancing randomly. Peter, the second keeper, was watching everyone else and coping one of their postures from time to time. Will, the other seeker, was flying in and out of sight, flying either too high or too far to flow with the human eye.

Bella watched Helen's moves, not missing the glances the Ravenclaw was sending at Sirius, who was watching her as well with a raised eyebrow. A knot formed in Bella's stomach and she got off James's broom quickly. Tearing her eyes away from the red-headed Helen, she began to scan the stands in search of her dear werewolf. She grinned.

"Hullo Remus!" she called out cheerily. The boy looked up from his book and smiled over at Bella, who was rushing up into the stands. And as we all know, Bella is not coordinated.

In other words, the poor dear tripped. Twice.

"Oh, bloody hell," she muttered, rubbing her pulsing nose. She had miraculously managed to hit the back of her head and her nose in the same fall, something any normal person wouldn't be able to accomplish so easily. Remus was already at her side, helping her up and checking her for some injuries, as always.

"Honestly, Remus, I'm probably bullet-proof with all of the hard objects my body comes in contact with," she stated, swatting his hands away before waltzing over to his spot where his book was still cracked open. With a smile, he followed her calmly, his hands shoved into the pockets of his trousers.

"Bullets, hm…those are muggle devices, aren't they?"

"Mm-hm, they load them into guns and all that violent rubbish," she stated, her nose crinkling at the word 'guns.' She really didn't like the muggle inventions that were made solely to kill someone or cause chaos and war; like the bomb. It's the same with wizards. The Killing Curse, the Imperio Curse, and the Crucitais Curse were the foulest things she had heard of. What were even fouler were the people who used them.

"Yes, we learned about them in Muggle Studies."

Bella nodded, her eyes traveling to Helen, who was know up in the air talking with Sirius. And they were flirting. Bells knew simply because of the smile Sirius was wielding; it was his 'love-me-even-though-I'm-an-arse' smile. Of course, he just called his Lady Charmer.

_The ego-centric prat,_ Bella thought while crossing her arms and placing a fierce scowl on her face. Helen and herself never exactly got along; Bella would get a crush, Helen would heard about it somewhere from someone and try to take the bloke first. It always worked when they were younger; Bella wasn't always so pretty. She began to gain admirers in her third year, when she turned thirteen and her body began to develop. Now, Helen and she were both considered the number one bachelorette of Hogwarts; it was technically a tie, according to Jess, who, of course, kept track of such a thing. Hagrid, who was currently serving as referee, threw up the quaffle (which looked more like a softball in his pan-sized hands) and the game began. Sirius and James were, of course, on the same team, along with Helen, Kelly, and Peter, who was surprisingly good for his usual timid outlook when not around his fellow Marauders.

Bella's mind would focus for a second until she saw Sirius and Helen throw flirty glances at each other, than she'd tune everything out until she thought it was safe. And the cycle continued on till the end of the game. James and Sirius cheered, giving each other high fives while sending bright sparks into the air with their wands. They had obviously won the game, although Bella wasn't sure what the exact score was. Remus and herself walked down to greet the teams and when she saw Helen riding Sirius' back, she began to talk with Jenny and Kelly, both of whom are from Ravenclaw as well.

"So, how's your fifth year?" Jenny asked, placing her broom on her shoulder. Kelly copied her movement and turned to Bella, awaiting an answer. Bells just simply shrugged.

"Confusing, I guess. I mean, I have this crush on this bloke, but he is so confusing! One second, he's acting like he might just like me, but the next he's off snogging some girl in the damn broom cupboard," she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air as an example of her exasperation with the subject. Everyone else, of course, was unaware that the said subject was listening in on the conversation.

"Well, that's no good. The bloke's obviously not worth it, Bella," Kelly stated smartly. Bells shrugged again.

"You know, I bet he's just trying to make you jealous."

Bella glanced at Jenny, an eyebrow raised in question. The Ravenclaw elaborated.

"Maybe he's just trying to see how you'll react when he's off with other girls that aren't you."

Bella snorted. "Oh, yeah, right. The bloke I like couldn't careless if a girl is jealous or not; if he wants them, he goes after them. If not, well, that sucks, doesn't it?"

"That's just a load of rubbish," Kelly stated firmly with a strict nod. Jenny shrugged off the subject and the group continued on towards the castle in silence. The sky had gotten darker, seeing as the game had went on for a few hours. Orange and pink hues were streaked across the sky, the sun no longer visible, but its rays still shining over the horizon. It had gotten colder than before and as the group walked, each member was getting a little cold.

Kelly sighed happily as they entered the warm halls of Hogwarts, each group going their separate ways. While saying goodbye to Kelly and Jenny, Bella glanced over and saw Sirius Black and Helen snogging, right there, in sight of everyone. She huffed.

"They have no shame, do they?" she muttered under her breath, waving to Kelly and Jenny while walking straight past the couple against the wall. She didn't notice the gray eye that had opened and was watching her walk up to Gryffindor Tower.

-.-.-.-.-

"Mates, the bloke is an idiot," Sirius stated when the Marauders had gotten up to their room a half hour later. Why, you ask, did it take a half hour? Because of Helen; she wouldn't leave Sirius alone. At all.

James looked at his friend curiously, running fingers through jet black hair. "What bloke?"

"You know, the bloke!"

"…"

"I think he's finally gone off his rocker," Remus piped up happily. Sirius glared at his friend, who was smiling innocently from his bed. James was splayed out across his, all four limbs dangling off of the edges carelessly. His glasses were on his night table, his hazel eyes staring sightlessly at the top of his bed. Peter was on the floor, shifting through his food supply, which was running low.

_We need to go back to the kitchens_, Sirius noted. Remus was sitting at the foot of his bed, his legs crossed and a book open on his lap, as always. Sirius was sitting on his trunk, laying back on the soft surface while his lower body stayed in the sitting position.

"He can't get off what he was never on," Peter pointed out, not looking up from his food. Sirius's scowl was lost on the boy.

"Too true, Wormtail; anyways, what bloke, Paddsy? There are so many," James inquired. Sirius rolled his eyes and threw his arms into the air frantically.

"The bloke that Bella fancies, you dolt!"

"Ah,_ that_ bloke."

"Yes, that damn bloke, Prongs."

"Well, no need to get snippy, now."

"Oh, shut it."

"Make me, Mister I'm So Tough."

"Why don't you go mate with Lily, Jamie?"

"Not that that's not a promising idea, but what about the bloke makes him an idiot?"

Remus sighed as the bantering between Padfoot and Prongs ended, turning onto another dangerous road: Bella's mystery crush.

"I heard—"

"—you mean eavesdropped?"

"…Are you going to let me talk or shall I let _you_ explain, Moony?"

"No, no, please, continue."

"Ok, well, I…**overheard** Bells talking to Jen and Kell. Apparently, the bloke is sending off mixed signals and that's just idiotic of him! I mean, honestly, who wouldn't want to go out with her?"

"Uh, me?" James asked, waving his hand in the air. Sirius smiled.

"Besides you three," he corrected. All the other's just shrugged, knowing that mostly every male in Hogwarts would kill to go out with Isabella Serino. Of course, that's just a figure of speech.

"No one, pretty much, really," Remus stated calmly. He shifted the page in his book and continued to read as the other three began to shoot ideas out of who the mystery man might be. Remus already knew, of course; he was just smart that way. Not to mention he had eyes and could see the way the two looked at each other.

"—not possible, right?"

"No, definitely not," James agreed with a nod. His glasses were back on his face and he was sitting up, scribbling on a sheet of parchment with a blue feathered quill. Remus raised a brow.

"What are you doing?"

"Writing down possible candidates for the crush," James stated hurriedly. Remus's other brow rose.

"What is this some kind of game show now?"

"What's a game show?" Sirius asked. Remus sighed and shook his head, waving a hand dismissively.

"Never mind, I don't want an answer anyway."

Sirius and James looked at each other, shrugged, than crossed off 'Frank Longbottom' of the list. Peter was still sorting through his candy and such on the floor, every now and again placing his opinion into the crush concept. Remus had already gone back to his book, staying out of the topic.

"So, who're you taking to the Ball, Pads?" James finally asked when they had stopped the guessing game. He had been getting hand cramps and his automatic quill thing was still broken from when he had decided to throw it at the Whomping Willow last year.

Sirius shrugged. "Don't know, really; I was planning on taking Bella, but not anymore. Maybe I'll just take Helen."

Remus nodded, not looking up from his book. "She's a nice girl. Don't take her."

"What? Why not?"

"Because Merlin knows that all you're going to do is try and get Bella to dance. Once you do, you won't even remember Helen's name."

"Ah, yes, that's true, Moony," Sirius agreed shamelessly. But Bella just had that affect on him; if he saw her, he forgot about the other girls that were tailing after him or he'd become more aware of it and use them to his advantage, trying to get Bella just a wee bit jealous, if that's even possible.

_If I can get one dance with her, I'll be happy,_ he thought firmly, setting that goal for his self. He was going to get at least one dance with Isabella Serino at the Halloween Masquerade, no matter what. And everyone knows that when Sirius gets something in his head, it sticks, until it's accomplished.

His prank targets know this all too well. But this wasn't a prank; it was getting a dance with the girl most guys were after. He always liked a challenge.

--

**A/N: Mm-hm, so, what did you think? Review please and tell me what i need to improve on or change and so on and so forth. Please?**


	7. Hogsmeade

**A/N: Thank you all who have ever reviewed! Especially _Totally CRAZY and Hyper _and _Miss Heather _cause they have reviewed, like, three times each! THANK YOU _EVERYONE_ WHO REVIEWED! it makes me so happy to know ppl like the story. :D :D :D :D :D **

**Ok so I've sorta come up with a schedule for updating. I'll try to update every weekend, maybe more if I don't have too much Homework...ugh, i have alot of that...ANYway, the ball will be coming up in either next chapter or the chapter after that. I'm a little impatient to get to it, because I'm just sooo happy with this story! Yay! **

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. I'm a 14 year-old girl who loves Sirius. That is it. **

Chapter Seven: Hogsmeade

"I love muggle sweatshirts. They're so cozy and warm," Bella murmured through a yawn as Lily, Jessica, and she walked down the staircase leading to the Hogsmeade group. Her form was draped in a large, light blue sweatshirt that went just below her hips, covering up her torso completely. Many of the blokes they passed looked at her disapprovingly; of course they wouldn't enjoy seeing her in something that makes her body look undeveloped.

"Mm-hm," Jess agreed sleepily, snuggling into her own black sweatshirt. Lily, who was chipper, sighed at her friend's tired behavior, throwing her auburn hair over her shoulder. She wasn't wearing a thick sweatshirt like the other two; instead, she was wearing a dark green cloak with a hood, which was currently hanging on her shoulders. Her legs were revealed with the black mid-thigh length skirt she wore, despite the cold weather. Her shirt was covered with the clasp of the cloak, but it looked like a blue shirt to Bella. She covered her mouth as a yawn ripped through.

"Oh, honestly, you can't be that tired," Lily snapped, irritated. Jess scowled.

"We aren't morning people, Lily. We are actually normal and don't enjoy the mornings," she explained slowly, as if speaking to a three year old. Lily returned her scowl impressively and Bella rolled her eyes, walking ahead and ignoring her friends' banter. Her jeans belled out around her sneakers, covering them up except for the front part. The morning was damp and cold and too early for her liking, but it didn't damper her mood too much. What did was the reminder that she had to spend the day with Mike.

"Morning love."

She turned around and beamed at Sirius, who was walking past Lily and Jess calmly and towards her. His eyes raked her outfit choice and even though her body was covered up too much for his liking, he thought she still looked rather devastatingly beautiful. Remus stopped, coming between Lily and Jess with a smile and few chuckles, while James began to flirt shamelessly with Lily and Peter watched uncomfortably. Jess yawned again than began speaking with Remus while Lily thwacked James on the back of the head, making his glasses fly off his face and to the ground.

"Morning, dear. Don't they look like a happy couple?" Bella laughed, pointing at the fuming Lily and blind James. Sirius watched, amused, as Lily kicked James's glasses away from him cruelly, making him panic—"I can't lose another pair! My mum said next time I lose them she'll have me neutered!"—and laughed. Bella snuggled deeper into her sweatshirt, filing Sirius's bark-like laugh away in her memory discreetly.

"So, love, where are you going first?" Sirius asked. Bella shrugged, a motion of fabric moving up and down, her shoulders hidden beneath the bulky sweatshirt.

"Dunno; I guess it depends on where Mike wants to go," she muttered dismally. Over the past couple of days, she's tried to corner the boy and tell him that she didn't think it was a good idea to go to Hogsmeade together, but she surprisingly didn't see him at all. Sirius frowned.

"You don't sound too enthused," he observed. Bella shook her head.

"I'm not. But oh well, there isn't anything I can do now," she sighed.

"Bella!"

She turned her head and saw Mike coming toward her slowly, his chest puffed out purposely. She rose an eyebrow at his behavior but just smiled grimly at him. "Hello Mike. You ready?"

Mike didn't hear her; he was too busy glaring at Sirius, who was returning the favor coolly. "What do you want, Black?"

"I'm just talking to my friend, Cornell."

More glares.

"Alright, let's go, Mike," Bella stated, grabbing the boy's arm, dragging him away from Sirius. She smiled at him ruefully. "Bye Sirius."

"I'll see you later, love."

She barely heard him as the crowd of moving students swallowed her and Mike up. Filch was collecting permission slips as the pupils walked out of the gates, which were charmed to throw back anyone who didn't have a permission slip. Bella handed hers over, along with Mike, and the two were walking through the gates towards Hogsmeade. The path to the small town was covered with fallen leaves that were swirling in the morning breeze, making small twisters of dirt and color. The grass was beginning to turn a brown color, the ground becoming colder and harsher with each day closer to winter. Some of the trees were already bare, their leaves limp and crisp at the base of the trunk.

"So, where are we going first?" Bella asked after a few minutes of awkward silence. Mike looked over at her, his mouth turned downwards at the corners.

"Why are you wearing that sweatshirt?"

It was Bella's turn to frown. "Because I'm cold?"

"I don't like it."

The girl stared at Mike incredulously before she glowered heatedly. "No offense meant, mate, but when did I ask you whether you liked it or not?"

He shrugged, undeterred by her icy tone. "I was giving my opinion as your boyfriend."

Bella's eyes went impossibly wide as she stopped right in the middle of the path.

_Boyfriend?! Didn't I tell him that we're going AS FRIENDS?!_

"Come on, love," Mike stated, pulling her on towards Hogsmeade. She went without a fuss, but her mind was still in shock. She distinctly remembered telling him they were only going as friends, nothing more. But he still decided to delude himself into thinking they were boyfriend and girlfriend? Her shock was wearing off, being replaced by annoyance with his bold move. It unacceptable, especially because he didn't confirm it with her! He just went right along and decided they were dating.

She didn't even remember getting to Hogsmeade. She only remembered dwelling on her growing annoyance and irritation towards the boy, than they were in the town.

"Ok, we need to talk. Now," Bella hissed, walking away from him and over to a bench. She brushed it off with her hand, than sat down gracefully, waiting for Mike to do the same. He hurried over and sat beside her, placing an arm around her shoulder possessively. She didn't even see Sirius with Cathy glued to his arm walk past, even though he was staring right at her. Her own gaze was locked on Mike's grinning face.

"What do you need, love?"

"First, don't call me 'love'; only Sirius can call me that," she snapped. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her emotions. "And second, when did I ever say that we were boyfriend and girlfriend? I told you that we were going to Hogsmeade as friends, Mike. Nothing more than that, alright?"

He blinked and scoffed. "You're acting shy again."

"Wh—you think—you think I'm acting SHY?" she sputtered after a moment of shocked quiet. Mike shrugged and nodded.

"Of course; why else would you be acting the way you're acting," he said calmly. And than he kissed her. Bella's eyes widened as his lips moved against hers, demanding a response. Her mind was a bit sluggish, but it quickly caught up with the situation and willed her hands to press against the boy's chest, pushing him away. Their lips broke away loudly and Bella gasped, her eyes holding the last of her shock. Then they were glinting with anger.

"What the bloody hell was that, Mike?!" she demanded, standing up quickly and distancing herself from him. He rolled his eyes.

"A kiss, Bella; that was a kiss."

"An unwanted kiss! I just told you that we aren't anything more than friends! Ugh, you are ruining my good mood, you know that, you twit?"

"Well, I beg your pardon! Most girls _like_ to be kissed."

"Yeah, by the blokes they fancy! Look, Mike, the reason I even asked you out was…to…make someone else…jealous. And I feel horrible about it, really, I do."

Mike stared at her for a second before glaring and shooting up off the bench, walking up to her until they were face to face. "Is it Black?"

"Eh! Wha—ehehe, no, not him! No!" she cried out nervously, smiling falsely and laughing lightly. But she quickly sobered up, giving him an apologetic look. "I'm really sorry, Mike. You're a cool guy and all, just…you know, I just don't like you that way. Sorry."

He continued to glare at her, but soon sighed and shook his head. "Whatever; later, Bella." And he walked away. Bella watched him go sadly, knowing that she really couldn't do anything else; she felt helpless.

"That was tough, Iz," Jess suddenly stated, placing an arm around her friend's shoulders. Bella looked at her curiously.

"Where did you come from?"

"My mother's womb, of course," she answered brightly before dragging her friend off to the Three Broomsticks. Bella smiled despite her depressed feeling and walked with Jess through the throng of people and students. Something suddenly struck Bella.

"Why was Lily so dressed up today?"

Jess grinned; the grin resembled a sphinx's smile so much, it kind of startled Bella. "She had a date."

"With who?"

"David something or another," Jess muttered, waving her hand dismissively as they waltzed into the crowded area of the Three Broomsticks. The two girls pushed their way through the large mass, searching for a free table nearby, only to find one where two lonely guys were sitting. Grinning all sphinx-like again, Jess bounded over with a wary Bella following behind.

"Hullo boys, mind if we sit with you?" Jess purred innocently. Bella leaned around the girl and smiled at the boys.

"The other tables are crowded," she said, shrugging. One of the boys nodded, his red hair falling into his eyes messily. He grinned all the same, dragging up an unused chair for Jess to sit in, who took it without hesitation. Bella sat herself in the chair beside the other bloke, smiling politely at him while holding out her hand.

"Hi, I'm Bella Serino," she greeted. He smiled widely, revealing gleaming white teeth, and shook her hand calmly.

"William Brook. You're the Gryffindor Seeker, right?" he inquired curiously while motioning for Madam Rosmerta over to their table. She waved back hurriedly, trying to serve a group of fifteen male students without them seeing up her skirt.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"The players are introduced in each game," he answered patiently, smiling at her suddenly red face.

"Oh yeah…I forgot," she mumbled, embarrassed. He laughed and smiled at her again.

"Don't worry about it; most of the players do. Or on the Slytherin team anyway."

Jess froze in her conversation with the other boy and blinked. "You're Slytherins?"

The red-head nodded, not noticing the suddenly suspicious air that surrounded Jessica. Bella eyed Will warily, being a little careful, but still polite. "Ok, well, alright; you obviously don't want to kill us, like your housemates, so…are you on the Quidditch team?"

Will shook his head. "I don't play much; I find that if I fly, gravity usually has a rather large effect on me."

Bella smiled and nodded, grabbing the spare hair tie she always has on her wrist and placing her long hair into a messy ponytail. The four continued to talk, the girls still being careful about what they say and do, but having a rather good time nonetheless. Madam Rosmerta hustled over; scowling over her shoulder at the raucous boys she had just got finished serving, before facing Bella and the others.

"Sorry it took so long, loves, but those boys—" more glaring, "—were being a right pain."

"Hi Rosmerta; have you seen James and Sirius yet?" Jess asked curiously. Rosmerta laughed merrily, her laughter tinkling through the conversations in the room.

"Not yet, but Remus did stop by, letting me know they'll be coming to see me soon," she said, smiling fondly. Bella grinned happily, hoping to see Sirius before they had to go back to the castle later.

"Well, what would you four like?"

Three helpings of butterbeer later, James and Sirius pounced through the door, landing happily on the threshold of the small pub. Their arms were spread out victoriously.

"We have arrived," James announced and he began sauntering towards the counter to swoon Madam Rosmerta. Only, he didn't get too far on account of Sirius's foot, which he did not see. The rest of the pub broke into loud laughs at the sight of the All Mighty James Potter, falling face first to the ground. Sirius, laughing the loudest, helped his friend up before bowing happily, stepping out of reach of James, who was prepared to knock him down. His gray eyes scanned the pub, finally landing on who he was searching for.

Bella was laughing along with everyone, her face beaming as she took a drink of her butterbeer.

"You go ahead without me, mate. I'm going to go say hi to Bells," Sirius whispered before waltzing over to her. People moved out of his way slightly, just as they did for James, so he got to her table relatively quick. His face lit up when he saw Bella saying goodbye to the blokes she was sitting with, along with Jess, who looked quite depressed to be leaving her newly-found boy-toy.

"I'll see you blokes later, alright?" Bella stated, grabbing her sweatshirt which she had taken off due to the butterbeer. Will smiled at her charmingly.

"Of course, Bella," he stated, taking the smallest of glances at Sirius. It went unnoticed by everyone besides the young Black, who simply raised an eyebrow, the smile still on his face. It widened when Bella turned to him.

"Hiya Sirius, I was beginning to wonder when you'd show up," she stated, folding her bulky sweatshirt over her arm. His eyes drifted over her torso slowly. Today she was wearing a dark red button-up shirt, which was folded at the elbows elegantly. His eyes went a little lower and he realized that she was wearing hip-hugger jeans, which immediately made his eyes snap back up to her face. The last thing he needed to do was get over-excited about what she was wearing in a crowded pub.

"You were waiting for me? Well, don't I feel flattered," he teased happily, grinning at the playful glare that Bella sent him. Jess slugged over to them, her face all glum.

"Well, come on. I bet Jamie's missing his partner in crime," Bella stated before attempting at shoving her way through the mass. She only ended up getting touched in the bum several times by at least four different blokes. Sirius didn't notice the first six, but he saw the seventh, which, of course, got his temper flaring. He 'accidentally' pushed the bloke out of the way and blocked Bella's backside from anyone else as he pushed them through the throng, seeing as Jess had taken her own route.

"Ah, there he is now! Sirius, old pal, old friend, old—"

"Dammit, Prongs, I am not old," Padfoot snapped, thwacking his friend on the head as Bella took a seat at the counter, smiling at the two friends. Jess was already there, laughing with Madam Rosmerta. James and Sirius glared playfully at each other until they both broke out into identical grins and turned to Rosmerta. James held his chest, gasping.

"My dear Rosmerta, you get more heartbreakingly beautiful with each day," he exclaimed, ending with a grin. She grinned, giggling lightly while smacking his arm as waitresses flew through the pub, taking orders and delivering them. Sirius nodded, winking at Bella.

"That was sappy, Prongs. Besides, Madam Rosmerta is much more than beautiful! You should know that by now," he chided scornfully, making the bartender blush again. James rolled his eyes and pulled out his wand, creating sparks with the words 'Shut up, Padfoot or I'll do it for you' sparkling through the rest of the colors. Sirius pouted before retaliating with his own light show with the words 'Back off, I bite' written. Jess, Bella, and Rosmerta laughed as they watched the two boys send lighted messages to each other.

"Hey, Sirius, where's Cathy?" James finally asked once they were sitting next to the girls, having some drinks that were free, thanks to Madam Rosmerta. Bella turned to Sirius with a raised eyebrow.

"Cathy?"

"Oh, did I forget to say I was supposed to go with her to Hogsmeade?" he asked casually, sipping at his jug calmly. Jess blinked, than nodded vigorously.

"Yes, you definitely forgot, you twit," she stated. Sirius rolled his stormy gray eyes and answered James's question.

"I told her that she needed to leave me alone."

"And…?" James encouraged. Sirius shrugged.

"I dunno; she started blubbering, than ran away."

James snorted slightly, drinking his own butterbeer. Bella rolled her blue eyes in annoyance, but hid the smile she was wearing from the boys. Only Jess saw it, which made the girl grin her sphinx-y grin. Bella ignored it expertly as she drank her butterbeer happily, talking with Rosmerta who had come back. Soon, Jess and Rosmerta were both scolding James for something that Bella had missed, but she was laughing all the same at his frightened face. But she was distracted when suddenly someone was breathing in her ear.

"Want to go to Honeydukes?" Sirius whispered. She felt her whole face flush, but she nodded all the same, standing off her stool. But the young Black hadn't moved back yet, so her body slid against his as she touched the ground. Both teenagers stood there for a second, their breathing becoming a bit irregular until James's voice broke through to them and they moved away quickly.

"Oi, where are you two going?"

Jess rolled her eyes and pushed him off his stool, staring down at the crumpled figure on the floor that was James. Without answering, Sirius and Bella walked to the door of the pub, waving at people they knew and smiling at everyone else. When the cold air wafted into Bella once they walked outside, she shivered, but didn't put her sweatshirt on; they were just going to Honeydukes.

"Where's Mike, love?" Sirius asked as they made their way to the sweet shop, keeping an eye on her shivering. If she continued to shiver as much as she was, he'd have to force her to put on that sweatshirt, even if they were only going to the shop not too far away.

"Well, honestly, I was only going with him to make yo…my crush jealous," she explained, mentally kicking herself for her minor slip up. Sirius's gaze hardened.

"You mean Luke?"

"What?"

"You told me Luke was your crush."

"Oh…did I? Oh, well, I lied," she told him carelessly. He looked over at her with a raised eyebrow, his lips spreading into an amused grin.

"I figured as much. James and I have been searching for possibilities on who your crush might just be."

"Why?"

"We have to meet him first, of course. We don't want you going out with some bloke who doesn't deserve you. Not that anyone does, mind you," he told her simply. She blushed and turned her face away, to hide her grin and blush. A breeze swept through the town and Bella shivered again, bringing her arms around herself tightly. Sirius frowned.

"You really should put that sweatshirt of yours on, love," he stated. She shook her head.

"I-I'm ok," she chattered out, her teeth clicking. Sirius's frown deepened and he quickened their pace so they could get to the shop quicker, hoping that she wouldn't get sick. The heavenly aroma of Honeydukes wafted outside as someone exited with her friend, both giggling as Sirius past. He held the door open for Bella and she smiled, walking into the warm and thick shop thankfully. Smells ambushed her; there was sweet, sour, chocolately, and just a mix of different scents that were too jumbled to identify. Sirius followed after her, watching as she ran through the shop, grabbing a different assortment of sweets. He didn't get anything; he found it too amusing to watch her filling up bag after bag of sweets. She grabbed three boxes of Jumping Mints, the peppermint creams shaped like frogs that jumped in your stomach when you eat them, four packs of Droobles Best Blowing Gum, four boxes of Bertie Bots Every Flavor Beans, six small bags of Peppermint Imps that made you blow smoke or fire, and several boxes of Sherbet Balls that made you levitate. Not to mention so much chocolate that Sirius eventually lost count.

"I'll take all of this," she grunted, pulling the three bags of sweets onto the counter. The elder man behind it smiled joyously and nodded, adding up her total in no time. His balding head shined under the lights in the small shop, but his smile was full of un-lost youth.

"That's three galleons and two sickles, Miss," he told her. Bella's face fell and she stared down at her sweets dismally.

"Aw, I don't have that much. Rats," she muttered, shuffling through her sweets, searching for something to take out so she buy what she could afford. Sirius walked up to the counter and laid down the amount, smiling widely at the man while grabbing her bags and heading towards the entrance of the sweet shop. Bella blinked before rushing to his side, half her face taken up by her smile. He looked down at her and couldn't help but compare her to a three-year-old who had wanted that way too expensive teddy-bare and had just gotten it.

"Thanks, dear! I'm so happy I could just sing. But I won't; I'm rather horrible at it," she admitted openly. He laughed and grinned down at her, happy to see her happy. But even happier knowing that he was the reason she was so happy.

"No worries, love. But do me a favor," he stated. She looked at him curiously, her eyes wide with attention. He smirked.

"Don't eat it all in one sitting. I think Lily and Jess might just murder me if you do."

"I promise," Bella laughed happily, snatching one of her bags and diving into her sweets. She pulled out a box of Every Flavor Beans and snapped it open, pulling out three jelly-beans. She held one out for Sirius, who took it and popped it into his mouth, chewing slowly. Bella's face crumpled and she swallowed her own hurriedly.

"Ew…I got earwax," she complained. Sirius grinned.

"I got cherry."

She pouted sadly, but soon placed the third bean into her mouth, breaking out into a smile. "Watermelon!"

"You shouldn't talk with your mouth open, love. It's rude," Sirius chided teasingly, causing Bella to stick out her tongue childishly. The two sat down at the bench he had seen Mike and her at earlier and began to eat some of her sweets, talking and laughing all the while. Some girls passed them, sending daggers at Bella viciously, who didn't notice in the least. Some guys passed them, watching the two jealously, hoping the two were just friends. By the time that they were full and content with the amount they had left, most students were already at the castle. Bella sighed.

"We should be heading back," she yawned, standing up and stretching. She had slipped her sweatshirt on during the time that they had been on the bench, after Sirius had threatened to turn her hair green three times. He groaned and stood up, carrying two of the three bags for Bella.

"That was fun," she stated as they walked back to Hogwarts happily. Sirius smiled.

"One of the best Hogsmeade visits, I'd say."

Bella nodded, her lips upturned in a grin as they saw their friend's up ahead. She ran forward, calling out their names, while Sirius frowned momentarily. He had really hoped it would just be the two of them walking to the castle, but fate must have something against him. What with James, who had the most horrible timing, barging in on them in the kitchen and interrupting their 'moment' in the Three Broomsticks and now, after finding the group of their friend's. But he was soon smiling too; he really did love his friend's, they were and are the best.

"Hi mates!" he called out as they waited from him up ahead. James began immediately complaining about Lily's date today, David Ferry, and how he was an absolute git. Of course, when Remus asked him why he was a git, James simply snorted and said, "Because he is."

"So, what did you two do today?" Jess asked casually, looking at Bella and Sirius expectantly. The two shrugged.

"Nothing, really," Bella stated.

"Talked, laughed, ate her sweets," Sirius listed off calmly. James and Jess exchanged glances and rolled their eyes, knowing full well that each of them were dying to explode about what a great time they had with the other. Of course, this wouldn't happen until they were safely in their dormitories, away from eavesdroppers.

"Next weekend, we're going dress shopping," Lily informed Bella as they walked into the common room a half hour later. Bella groaned, shuffling up the stairs glumly at the news. She didn't like shopping; she always got caught on the rugs and feet of racks and somehow always got locked into the changing rooms. She didn't know how and didn't know why, but she always did, no matter what.

"Great, fantastic, wonderful," she muttered, opening the dormitory door and flopping down onto her bed, placing the sweets to the side of it. After a few minutes of sulking, she sat up and sat on the bed crossed-legged, pulling out her Sherbet Balls from one of the bags. Popping one into her mouth, she chewed and swallowed as Lily asked a question.

"What's going on with you and Sirius?"

As she levitated into the air, still cross-legged, she turned to Lily. "I dunno; I wanna say yes, but I honestly have no clue. He's such a puzzle; one second he acts like he just might like me, than I find him snogging someone like Cathy in a broom cupboard, the girl half-naked!"

Jess's nose crinkled. "Did you actually—"

"Yes."

"Ew," she shuddered, the mental vision overwhelming.

"Well, you're going to be a complete knock-out at the Ball and he'll just have to love you, so no worries," Jess continued after a moment of shuddering. Lily sighed.

"That's if he knows it's you, of course."

"Eh? Why wouldn't he?"

"It's a Masquerade, Bells; you'll be wearing a mask, as will everyone else. _Everyone_ else," Lily empathized. Bella thought over this for a second, than flopped back on her bed helplessly.

"So she could snog some guy she thinks is Sirius and it might actually be someone like Peter?" Jess asked.

"Yes."

"Well, that complicates things."

"No, really?" Bella asked sarcastically from her spot. Jess rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything about her friend's behavior. It was to be expected.

"What if you two magically found each other at, like, the stroke of Midnight and instantly knew it was each other and fell in love?" Jess asked dreamily. Bella sat up and scowled at her as Lily snickered behind her hand. Jess came back to Earth when a pillow smacked her in the face, hard and quick.

"This isn't a fairy tale, you dolt."

"Oh, well, excuse me for trying to think _positively_, " Jess snapped, crossing her arms tightly and pouting. The room was silent for a little while until Jess muttered:

"Or he could just shag you and _than_ you fall in love. That's more realistic anyways. But you'll have to set the mood; you know, candles and fluffly pillows and a cozy blanket. Oh and you might want to borrow one of my thongs. Maybe the black, lacy one; that one's sexy."

Bella began pelting her with conjured books.

**Ok, so, i liked this one. I absolutely _adore _Jess! But if you could review. Please?**


	8. Medusa

**A/N: Ok, so, this chapter is pathetically short. Only, like, 2,000 and something words. But it's only a little filler chapter thing. THE BALL IS NEXT CHAPTER! AHHH!! :D ;D :D :D :D I can't wait to get that down! And i know you've had to wait soooooooooo long for this chapter and it's all short and crappy. But i promise, the next one will be TEN TIMES BETTER! and if you suck at math, like moi, than I'll make it quite simple: IT. WILL. BLOW. YOUR. FREAKING. SOCKS. OFF! yeah, you better believe it. XD **

**Again, THANK YOU FOR ALL WHO HAVE REVIEWED! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU! but I'm not lesbian. Don't swing that way, babes, sry ;) LOVE YOU, EVERYONE!**

**Disclaimer: I own a poster of Sirius, so i _must _own him too. No? Nien? Nada? Well...shit. If i don't own him, i don;t own anyone else. If i did, I'd have a bazillion dollars and an awesome British accent. **

Chapter Eight: The Prank

"We're going dress shopping tomorrow," Lily reminded the other two girls at the dinner table on Friday. The week had gone by without consequence; The Marauders had played yet another prank on poor Severus, which was the reason he wasn't currently in the Great Hall; he was in the Hospital Wing with Madam Pomfrey, who was trying to stop the oil from flowing through his hair.

"Stop reminding us, Lily," Jess snapped irritably. Lily huffed and shoved a piece of potatoes into her mouth as Bella rubbed her eyes sleepily. The girl was currently poring over her Potions book, trying to figure out one of the potions they were supposed to do for homework this weekend. While every other girl was giggling and squealing about the dance or, in Jess's case, trying to figure out how to go with three boys at once, she was trying to study. Slughorn had told her that if she doesn't get at least one potion right, he'll remove her from the Ball and have her working in his classroom that night.

So, naturally, she's been reading the book ever since. She really did not want to spend the whole night in Professor Slughorn's dungeon class while everyone else was out having a good time. She looked up from her book when an arm snaked around her shoulders, only to see Sirius sitting next to her, smiling his charming smile.

"Hullo love, how are you?" he inquired

"I'm alright, dear. How are you?" she replied, turning her attention back to her book. Sirius raised an eyebrow before leaning closer to the pages, reading over what had gotten her attention so thoroughly. He frowned when he realized it was a potions book.

"Why, love, are you reading that?"

"Because, Slughorn said if I don't get at least one of the three potions right, I can't go to the Ball," she whined uselessly. James, who was seated across from Sirius, shook his head and pointed his fork (which still had food on it, by the way) at the thick text book.

"He can't do that."

"Says who?" Lily snapped. James blinked his hazel orbs and grinned at Lily, mussing his hair unnecessarily. He opened his mouth to reply with something witty when Remus cut in.

"James Potter, of course; Merlin forbid anyone disobey him. They may just end up dangling above the Giant Squid," he announced quite primly. Sirius laughed as James scowled at his friend before pelting him with three buns simultaneously. Peter was too busy eating to notice the commotion going on around him, as usual.

"Agh, it's **impossible!**" Jess exclaimed, burying her face in her hands. Sirius raised an eyebrow and turned to Bella, who just shook her head while continuing to read. Lily sighed and took a bite of her shepherd's pie before speaking.

"I told you that yesterday, Jess."

"Ohh," Jess moaned pathetically, overriding Lily's scolding. The redheaded girl just shrugged and continued to eat her dinner while successfully ignoring James _and_ Jess, a rather admirable feat. Remus was currently talking with a Ravenclaw girl who had come over shyly, asking him for help on an assignment. Sirius watched the exchange with interest, noting how the girl blushed every time Remus smiled or laughed at something she said. Bella's attention got dragged over to James and Peter, who were both trying to see who could throw a bun higher into the air without using magic. Peter, surprisingly, was winning, and James was becoming awfully frustrated.

"What's impossible?" Sirius inquired. Bella rolled her eyes as Jess continued to whine and moan about her unfortunate life.

"Taking three dates to the dance without either of them finding out," she stated. Lily sighed and shook her head as Jess wailed. Bella kicked her under the table.

"Stop it, Jess. I'm trying to read so I can go to the ball," she snapped. Sirius sighed than smiled down at Bella.

"How about I help you?"

"Thank you, but no thanks. Last time you helped me dear," she started, giving him a significant look, "I ended up blowing up half of the classroom."

Sirius couldn't stop the grin from spreading across his face as James snickered. Sirius turned to him, his grin widening. "That was pretty funny, wasn't it, Prongs?"

"_'Pretty funny?'_ It was hilarious!"

Bella snorted and went back to her book, muttering, "Sure, if you weren't the one stuck fixing the stupid classroom and cleaning up all the rubbish."

Sirius draped his arm around her shoulders, completely unaware of the affect that had on her. "Sorry Bells, we didn't mean to get you in trouble. I'll be good, I promise." His smile resembled a dog looking and waiting for his treat. Bella opened her mouth, contemplating the idea, but Lily cut in before anything could progress.

"Izzy, we're going to the library. Are you coming?" Her look said Bella didn't have a choice.

The half-Italian girl nodded and closed her book, doggy-earring her spot before standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder before saying goodbye to the boys and following her two friend's, one a feisty red-head and the other a sulking blonde, to the library. James looked at Sirius, his face scrunched up in confusion as he pointed at the retreating figures. Sirius shrugged and took a bite of kidney pie.

"Why am I going to the library exactly?" Bella asked as the trio made their way up a staircase. She glanced down near the entrance to the Slytherin Common Room and crinkled her nose as she saw Slughorn congratulating one of his house members on a "job well done", which implied many different possibilities.

"You need to make a move," Jess stated simply. Bella blinked but her friend didn't elaborate, probably because she was still sulking. Bells pulled out a small pad of parchment and tossed it at Jess's head, hear a satisfying whap. Jess scowled.

"Please, stop sulking. You're bad aura is affecting me terribly," she asked politely, smiling. Jess's scowl did not deter.

"Oh, stop it, you two," Lily snipped. Jess gave off an offended look.

"Well! It's true, what they say; it's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for," she said dramatically, pointing at Lily. Bella rolled her eyes as the girls entered the library and stole the first table available. Lily and Jess both sat across from her and gave her calculating looks. Bella shifted in her seat before shooting glares at her friends.

"Why are looking at me like that?"

"You…need…to…make…a…move!" Jess exclaimed, flailing her arms widely. Bella started a bit at the sudden explosion, which earned a 'HUSH!' and multiple glares from Madame Pince. Lily smacked Jess's arm and turned back to Bella, who was hunched over the table to hear her two friends better.

"What Jess _means_ is that you need to stop with all the-the," Lily whispered, searching for a word. Her face scrunched up into a look between longing and constipation. Jess and Bella broke out into silent laughter while Lily flushed a red darker than her hair.

"Wh-What was that, Lils?" Bella snorted. Lily scowled.

"You and Sirius, damn it; you two are _always_ looking at each other that way!" she whispered hurriedly. Bella raised an eyebrow.

"Like we need some Pepto Bismol?"

Lily pointed her wand at Bella threateningly, who held her hands in the air in surrender. Lily lowered the piece of wood slowly, her eyes narrowed into slits. "No, like you're looking at some kind of expensive treat. You need to make a move on him, please."

"Yes, please do. The looks are getting quite tiresome," Jess pleaded deadpan, inspecting her nails boredly. Lily slammed open one of her textbooks, earning more hushes and glares from the librarian and Bella watched Lily curiously; she seemed awfully mad.

"Well, not that that isn't absolutely _invigorating,_" Bella said sarcastically, "but I have other things I need to accomplish."

"Such as…?"

"Anything other than this."

Jess snorted while Lily rolled her green orbs and waved Bella away, who hurried out of the room full of books. Her shoes padding on the floor, she began to walk down flights of stairs, not quite sure where she was heading. The halls were barely littered with students; most pupils had either gone to hang out in their common rooms or were snogging in the empty classrooms. Some were even snogging in the hallway. Bella sprinted past those few couples, her nose crinkling slightly at the way they just displayed themselves; as far as she was concerned, it was no one else's business how her and her boyfriend kissed or touched. She didn't mind PDA, but preferred it limited to hugs and holding hands and small kisses here and there. She was old school when it came to that and was damn proud, thank you very much.

"There you are, Bells!"

She turned to see James running up to her, carrying what looked to be a squirming bag. She eyed it cautiously, taking three carefully measured steps backwards as Sirius, Remus, and Peter came up beside their friend. "What's in the cloth?"

"So suspicious," Sirius teased. Bella stuck her tongue out, tempting him terribly, but kept her eyes locked on the still squirming cloth. James held it up (and at an arms length, Bella noted), grinning wildly.

"It's only a present for our pals, the Slytherins, of course," he admonished, blinking innocently, although the devilish grin gave him away completely. "Would you like to help?"

Bella looked at each boy in turn before sighing with a shrug. "What the hell do I have to lose? Sure, I'll join you blokes."

"Excellent!"

James pulled out his invisibility cloak, which Bella had never been under before, and motioned for her to get closer. Once she was pressed next to Sirius, James swung the cloak around the five students, who were compacted like a poor victim entrapped in Devils Snare. They moved slowly and carefully, hissing at each other when someone stepped on the other.

"I'd appreciate if you keep your hands to your sides, Mr. Black," Bella whispered, pushing Sirius's hand away from her upper thigh for the fourth time. He smiled guiltily and crossed his heart, earning an eye-roll from the black-haired girl.

"We're here," James whispered. Bella smiled, her Marauderette side showing through as they all got ready for whatever trick they were planning.

"Let's have some fun," Sirius muttered.

/.|.\

Morning came around without too much consequence; the boys were a little late coming down for breakfast, which was odd, but the girls all decided to overlook it as nothing. Bella sat at the Gryffindor table, chewing on some bread and jam, absentmindedly listening to Patty's chatter while scanning the hall for the Marauders. Lily and Jess were extremely cautious; Bella hadn't come to the dorm room until early in the morning, looking pleased and devilish. To them, it was as if sirens were going off all morning, but so far, nothing's happened.

Of course, no one was expecting what came next.

A scream echoed through the halls and everyone's heads in the Great Hall snapped to the entrance, only to see four Slytherin girls in their nightgowns rushing in. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Well…almost nothing.

"Oh my—What happened?!" McGonagall shrieked, standing up from the table abruptly, along with Slughorn. The girls tried to pull at the snakes on their heads, but the things only hissed and snapped at their hands. Instead of fine hair dangling from the girls' heads, there was snakes of all colors; green, white, black, red. People from the other house tables screamed and moved away from the girls, terrified of getting bit. But most people were laughing their arses off. Bella and Jess were among them.

"Merlin…" Lily gasped, covering her mouth, trying her best to conceal her giggles. A sleepy-eyes James walked to the entrance, rubbing his eyes behind his glasses tiredly before opening them, exaggerating the drowsiness of just-woken-up.

"Well, what happened?"

"You didn't!" Lily suddenly yelped, turning to Bella. But the poor girl was laughing too hard to say anything against the accusation. Sirius, Remus, and Peter soon showed up beside James and, seeing the gleam in their eyes, Professor McGonagall shrieked for them to meet her in her office immediately.

"You should shampoo them better next time, Parkinson," Jess called out to one of the girls through her laughter. "They look ready to shed!"

Parkinson screeched and fled from the Hall, scratching at the snakes with her polished nails.

"Ah, true Slytherin Pride!" Jess exclaimed. Nearly Headless Nick suddenly floated through the wall and glanced over at all of the clamor at the entrance. McGonagall was currently trying to calm a frantic girl down, who was crying about how she was going to get some disease called AIDS from the reptiles. Nick raised one ghostly eyebrow and shook her head.

"You can't say those boys don't have an active imagination. I won't be surprised to walk into the Hall next week and see the Hufflepuffs with badger heads and the Ravenclaws with beaks."

The other Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students look terrified and whiter than Sir Nicholas.

"That can't be healthy," Jess muttered, watching as each student slowly blanched. Lily stood up suddenly and held up her purse.

"Time for dress shopping!"

"Damn it," Jess muttered. Bella smirked and stood up, brushing off her pants calmly.

"I wonder if we can pick up a mask for Cathy—bless her. It's probably best we get a full-face mask; we don't want to scare the other students too horribly by showing her dry features."

Cathy Ria glared at Isabella from down the table and the girl just blew her a kiss before walking out of the hall, avoiding the stumbling Slytherin girls with Medusa headgear.

**Yes, i know, it sucked terribly. it was rubbish and i apologize, but you know what? You should review _anyway, _bcuz you know you love me. **

**=3**


	9. The Ball

**A/N: TA-DA! THE BALL! (fanfare plays) And this one is looong. Yay! C: C: ANYWAYS, i think everyone will be very pleased with this one. Or i hope. Eh, w/e.**

**Disclaimer: i own Bella, Cathy, Jess, Patty, Luke, Mike, and all of my LOVERLY OC's. Sirius is NOT an OC (sob). **

Chapter Nine: The Ball

The school was completely decked out in Halloween Décor. The portraits were all drinking from orange and black cups, their liquor splashing against the walls of the glass. Some of them even had little noisemakers and masks, holding their cups up in toasts to students that passed by. The steps were covered in sinking sap, a black substance that Slughorn created just for the festivities. It parted for high-heels, leaving small foot spots before stretching back over the barren stone. People were grabbing the sap and throwing it at their friends, laughing as it stuck to their clothes nastily.

Pumpkins were floating all around, cackling at those who passed, all of whom laughed in the same manner, shooting colorful sparks at the orange vegetables in spirit of All Hallows Eve. Sir Nicholas tipped his head and placed his rope around the thin layer of skin keeping it attached, lolling his tongue out when students made choking noises as he floated past. The Bloody Barren chased his Slytherin students around with an ax, grinning madly and cackling as loudly as the pumpkins. The Quidditch Pitch was full of flying orange and black pixies that zoomed around, looking like long streaks of lightened colors instead of actual creatures. Hagrid's hut was gleaming with light, some Will-O-Wisps flying around sluggishly.

But the most decorative place in the whole ground was, of course, the Great Hall.

The ceiling was glowing with stars and blinking eyes and the occasional shooting star. Jack-O-Lanterns were floating around in circles, their faces all different. One was cross eyed and laughing goofily while another looked like it was plotting and 'hmm-ing' every now and again in thought. A third was smiling widely, sharp teeth made of the soft flesh of pumpkin, no sound coming from the mouth. The Four-House tables were filled to capacity with food and candles and props and hidden surprises that made students shriek than laugh giddily. The floor and walls were black with the occasional glisten of orange and bodiless shadows that made people turn around quickly, only to laugh when they realized it was simply magic. The Head Table was gone and replaced, instead, with a long row of suit of armors, each emblazed with one of the four House's colors. There were eight in total, so two for each house; no one knew what they were for but was sure that they would find out sometime tonight.

"Wonderful, absolutely wonderful," Professor Dumbledore said, walking into the Great Hall and standing beside McGonagall, who looked at him, than did a double take. His costume was…interesting. She couldn't be quite sure what he was, but honestly, neither could many others. His usual pointed hat was small and rounded, colored exactly like the rest of his outfit; silver and gold striped. His feet looked to be combined into one large shoe, but when he moved, you could see the small slit in his full-body costume so he could still move his feet separately. Professor McGonagall looked at him curiously.

"Albus, what are you?"

Dumbledore looked at the transfiguration teacher skeptically, than down at his costume and smiled. "Well, I'm a sock, of course!"

McGonagall blinked. "A sock?"

"Yes, well, I thought, since I very rarely get one for Christmas, I should try and be one instead," he explained calmly, looking around at his students fondly. McGonagall stared for a moment before laughing softly and shaking her head, not asking any further questions.

"Hullo Professor Dumbledore. Let me guess," James Potter said, walking up to his favorite teacher. Well, Dumbledore isn't really a teacher, but he's James's favorite authority figure. James tapped his chin thoughtfully and looked the Headmaster up and down, who was standing calmly. "You're a sock, of course!"

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he smiled. "Why, yes I am. Poor Minerva didn't quite see it at first."

"Correction, Headmaster; I don't see it," the woman intercepted teasingly. She looked over at James and nearly had a stroke. The boy was dressed as…well, as Lily. His usually short, messy black hair was long shiny and red, his eyes a gleaming emerald behind his glasses. Instead of a flat, muscular chest, he had reasonable sized breasts and curves, along with long legs and small feet, complete with a velvet blue gown that reached his ankles with slits up the sides.

"You look very lovely," Dumbledore complimented. "But I do believe you made the hair a tad too dark."

"Yes, well, Sirius was being a prat and knocking on the bathroom door every five seconds," James stated with a shrug of his now girly shoulders. Dumbledore nodded sympathetically and went in search of some punch while James leaned against the wall, waiting for his friends to descend the staircase.

- - -

"Damn it—hold still, Bella!" Jess yelled, pulling on the girl's corset ties. Bella gagged and coughed as Jess tightened the strings, tying them tightly and securely. Bella held a hand to her chest, attempting at taking a deep breath. It didn't work too well.

"I can't breathe!" she cried out frantically. Jess sighed heavily and brought her wand up, swirling her wrist in a curvy elegant pattern. Suddenly, Bella's lungs seemed to expand and she could breathe freely again, despite the corset. She grinned and sat on the bed, only in the red corset and her black silken slip. Jess sat behind her, on her knees, and began to work on the Italian girl's long curly hair. Staring at it critically for a moment, her eyes suddenly brightened and she brought up her wand. Bella's eyes widened and she tipped to the side, out of range.

"What are you going to do with that?" she demanded. Jess rolled her eyes and pushed Bella back into her original position, scowling playfully.

"Don't be such a baby, Iz. It'll be much quicker this way."

Jessica lifted the magic wand in the air before swishing it around in a lazy fashion, her wrist circling elegantly and creating multiple designs that Bella couldn't quite follow. With each new curve, a chunk of hair fell into a certain place on Bella's head. She took her eyes off her hair in the mirror and instead on her outfit for the evening. She wasn't supposed to be anyone, really; just a medieval woman.

Her crimson corset was laced with silver silk and threads while the slip she wore gleamed black one minute and white the next. She touched the corset self-consciously; perfectly aware of how it pushed up her boobs unnecessarily. She knew she was pretty and knew that lots of guys wanted her. But it wasn't as many as everyone thought; most of the guys that said they liked her only did so to make their crushes and such jealous. She hated her looks, if she was to be completely honest.

Everyone always saw her looks. Her hair, her body, her lips, her eyes; they never noticed her actual personality and the truth of the matter was that she was a pistol. A bloke would have to be very…steady and strong-minded to be able to deal with a girl like Bella. Although most teenage boys followed her with their eyes, she knew more than half of them were thinking of the girls they fancied more than anything else. And she could bet, if the guys that did like her for her looks spent one day with her, they'd probably be done. Not as a friend, but they probably wouldn't be able to handle anything more than that.

"There! All finished," Jess declared excitedly. Bella's eyes snapped up from her lap and to her hair. The black curls were gleaming and all set into an old-style twisted bun. Multiple strands dangled around her face and in the back, tickling her neck, while others stayed firmly in place with magic. She pushed herself off the bed and walked over to the chair where her dress lay and pulled it over her head in one movement. The sleeves came to her elbow and belled out slightly, lined with a white silk. The dress itself was old-fashioned; it belled out at her waist and left large space for her legs. The back dragged on the ground very slightly, but magic stopped it from getting dirty. Also, magic made it so that she didn't need a metal holder to keep her skirt belled out as it was. It also gave her the power to flatten it down when it got uncomfortable.

The dress itself was a rich red color, the low circular neckline trimmed with a white silken lace. With each movement of her body, the fabric shimmered with small white specks that were invisible when standing still. Bella smiled largely and twirled around, feeling elated to the point of bursting. Her black ballerina flats were waiting at the door; it was impossible for her to be able to walk in heels. She knows; she tried. Quickly, she grasped her mask and sealed it to her face with, of course, a spell. The mask only covered up her eyes and expanded outwards, off her face on each side. The eye holes were outlined in black while the body of the mask was red with white swirled designs.

Bella turned to Jess and smiled at her friend, holding in her laughs as best she could. One half of Jess was all white; her dress, skin, tights, shoes, makeup. Everything, was white; the dress came to mid-thigh while the rest of her legs were covered with tights and high-heeled boots. Her hair on that side was up in a beautiful bun, small squiggly strands dangling. The other half of her was black. Once again, everything was black. Her dress came down to her knee and she wore one pump on her foot. The hair on that side was sticking up crazily, streaking with multiple colors. So, one side of her was white while the other was black. One side was beautiful while the other was crazy and goth. It had taken four hours to get the magic right in order for her costume to work.

"You look amazing," both girls stated at the same time. Jess didn't have a mask to go with her costume, so she knocked on the bathroom door as Bella slipped into her shoes.

"Hurry up, Lily, or we'll leave without you!" she teased. The door swung open so suddenly, Jess had to jump back from begin hit. Standing in the doorway of the bathroom was Lily. Her long red hair was braided down her back which was covered in a long black dress. The edges extended past her feet and billowed with each movement while the neckline curved before stopping, the end of it stop just at the beginning of her cleavage. Her mask was white with a black outline and, like Bella's, only covered her eyes. Although her costume was simple, it looked breathtaking on the girl. Her heels clicked as she walked to the door and swung it open. She turned to Bella.

"Sirius is going to have a stroke when he sees you, Izzy," she complimented with a wink. Bella's pale face flushed as she followed her red-headed friend down the stairs and into the common room. The comfy area was empty but covered in even more decorations, much like the halls; the portraits were in the spirit while the floors and walls were draped with black and orange. As the girls walked through the portrait hole, The Fat Lady smiled at them while holding up a glass of what seemed to be Firewhiskey.

"'Appy 'Alloween!" she cried out, her speech slurred. Jess snickered while giving her a mock salute and following her two friends down the staircase. Lily's nose crinkled as she stepped around the black goo covering the floors, which parted for them. Bella looped her right arm with Jess and her left with Lily, grinning widely, her body glowing with excitement.

"This night is going to be so great!" Lily squealed, squeezing Bella's arm lightly. Jess pushed her chest out when she saw one of her three dates waiting in the Great Hall.

"Well, as much as I hate to leave you two Bachelorettes, I have dates that I need to entertain," she said before un-looping her arm from Bella's and skipping down the rest of the steps. Once she reached the bottom of the staircase, though, she began to saunter sexily towards her first date of the evening.

Lily snorted. "How long do you think it'll take for her dates to figure out what she's doing?"

Bella brought a finger to her plump lips and tapped them softly. "Well, she never did go for the smart ones. Probably all night, I'd wager."

"Do you want to wager?" Lily's lips were upturned in a grin. Bella blinked but held out her hand for a shake.

"Why, of course! Alright, I wager two galleons that they don't figure out until the end of the ball."

"And I wager the same amount that they figure out before the end." The two friends' shook hands and grinned at each other competitively than made their way to the entrance of the Hall. Lily swiveled her head around in different directions, obviously searching for someone, which confused Bella.

"Who're you looking for, dear?"

Lily turned to her friend for a second, shrugged, and went back to searching. Bella tilted her head to the side and raised an eyebrow before it actually hit her. "Oh! You have a date!"

Evan's face matched her hair. "W-well, I mean, yes, but—I mean, we're not—I just—" She continued to sputter, not forming any coherent sentences. Bella snickered.

"Is it David Something-or-Another?"

"Who?"

"The bloke you went to Hogsmeade with?"

"Are you talking about Henry O'Donnell?"

Bella blinked before flushing with embarrassment. "Oh, well, yes, I suppose that's who I'm talking about. You might want to have a little talk with Jess, though; she seems to think his name is David."

Lily sighed and shook her head, but smiled nonetheless. "Yes, that's who I'm looking for. I told him what I'd be we—"

"Hullo ladies."

Lily's face lit up and she twirled around, only to be met with her date. Bella silently appraised him.

The left side of his face was covered with a black mask, the words 'Happy All Hallows Eve' streaming down it every so often. From what Bella could see, he looked kind of…plain, if a man can be plain. His eyes were a deep shade of blue, resembling the ocean, and framed by thin eyelashes. His nose was rather on the large side while his mouth took up most of the space below the nose. But his smile was very charming, Bella noted as he grinned at his date, who blushed in return. His blonde hair was slicked back as best as he could get it, but there were still pieces sticking up at odd angles, making him look a little mad.

But maybe he's supposed to look that way, Bella wondered. The boy was tall and lanky, his limbs longer than his actual body in some places; also, his feet kind of looked like flippers; large and rubbery.

And when Bella began to actually take in his costume, she had to swallow the laughs building in her throat. His body was covered in a court jester's outfit; a cloth of the rainbow color variety. Sequins shimmered and shined with each of his movements, making him look much like a human disco ball. His feet were covered with bulky blue shoes; he had to lift his legs up as if he was marching in order to actually walk. He held a hat in his hand; it was also of the rainbow variety, with larger sequins emblazed on it. Four long extensions dangled from the base, each ending in an annoying little bell that jingled every time he made a gesture.

"Henry, this is my friend, Bella. Bella, this is Henry," Lily introduced and Bella snapped her eyes away from the hat and to the boy's eyes. She smiled politely and shook his hand softly.

"Hullo Henry, dear; I've heard so much about you."

Lily scowled at her sarcastic tone.

"Really? Because I seem to remember Lily saying that she hadn't told anyone we were dating."

Bella flushed an unhealthy red color as Lily laughed. "Yes, well, at least I know you're honest."

Henry grinned; half of his grin was covered up with his mask.

"Come on, Henry; let's dance," Lily encouraged, dragging him away from the entrance and into the mass of people within the Hall. Bella gave a little wave than crossed her arms and sighed, looking around at the people loitering around. Mike and Cathy were snogging behind a wall, which wasn't doing much to hide them. Bella crinkled her nose.

Frank and Alice were talking animatedly; a Ravenclaw couple were holding hands and staring into each other's eyes all mushy-like; Lily was leaning against the wall, looking annoyed; another couple was snog—Bella did a double take.

"Lily?"

The girl looked away from the staircase leading up to the Gryffindor Tower and towards Bella, than grinned and waved her over. Bella did so cautiously; she was dressed differently with no mask.

"When did you go change? And where's Henry?"

"Oh, I'm not—who the bloody hell is _Henry_?"

Bella blinked four times than broke out into rib-cracking laughs. That voice was most definitely not Lily's!

"James, how did you? Why…" she attempted at asking through her laughs; it didn't work too well. The boy-turned-girl beamed proudly, puffing out his now breasted chest.

"I have always been good at transfiguration," he announced grandly. Bella snorted through her laughs, which made James laugh, just like he always did when the ever-so-polite Bella snorted.

Breathing heavily, Bella smiled at James fondly. "You better hope Lily doesn't see you."

"What, and not show her how she looks and how incredibly tempting she is? Ha, I don't think so," he replied haughtily. Suddenly, he was scowling. "And who the bloody hell is Henry?"

"Oh, Henry O'Donnell; he's her date."

James looked like he was going to have a stroke. "Her date? Date…I THOUGHT SHE DIDN'T HAVE ONE!"

Bella blinked and backed up slightly. "Well, who told you that?"

"Jess did! She said—"

"She also said his name was David."

James looked at Bella incredulously. "How did she get…? Never mind, I don't want to know."

Bella smiled at her friend and looped her arm with his. "Well, Jamie, looks like neither one of us don't have dates. And I would offer, but—" she gestured at his costume "—I don't swing that way."

He made a face at her. "Ha Ha, you are so funny."

"Aw, thank you, Jamie!" She laughed and hugged her friend tightly, who patted her head dismally. Bella ignored his sudden surly mood expertly as she waited for the other Marauders patiently, leaning against the wall while watching the other students in the Hall dancing and talking and laughing and throwing spells at each other. But her mind had switched gears; it was now focused on the newspaper she had read a few days ago.

**Wizard Family of Four Found Dead in Their Home**

It was suspected that the new murderer, 'Lord Voldemort' (what a silly name), was behind it. But the Ministry wasn't too sure, seeing as it was the Killing Curse that had been used and the only people who were there were dead.

Looking at the peers dancing and laughing and just living life, it was hard to believe that these rumors were true. Some people believed that this was all going to pass over without consequence; wizards from pureblood families have been doing things like this for ages and it always does pass over. This would too.

Bella was doubtful.

There was something about the way the adult's, teachers and parents alike, responded to the name. It was like you had just inflicted some kind of pain on them or cussed so horribly that it hurt them to see you use such language. They would hush you up, kindly and gently of course, and tell you, 'It's nothing for you to worry about. You're safe in Hogwarts.'

You're safe in Hogwarts.

If it wasn't a big deal, than wouldn't the students be safe anywhere? Not just Hogwarts?

Something was brewing. Something was beginning. And Bella had the feeling it wasn't going to end well.

"Well, don't you two look lovely."

Bella shook away the thoughts and grinned over at Remus before laughing. His costume was so very amusing to her, that she couldn't help herself.

On his head was a pair of brown ears that blended well with his hair. His body was covered in a soft, brown cloth; his hands covered with paws, along with his feet. His face was transfigured into a long, hairy muzzle that was currently upturned in a grin. He was a werewolf for Halloween.

"How original, Moony," James said, smiling widely despite his mood. Remus chuckled.

"I thought so too, Prongs."

"Uh, Wormtail? Aren't you supposed to be dressed up?" James inquired, looking at his portly friend disapprovingly.

Peter was wearing his usual clothes, looking out of place in the group of dressed-up friends. He grinned and pulled the invisibility cloak before swinging it around himself and he disappeared.

"I am dressed up. I'm going as the Invisible Man!"

James frowned slightly, but shrugged. "Whatever floats your boats, I suppose."

Bella rolled her eyes and smiled at the empty space where Peter was. "I think it's a very good idea, Peter."

"Thanks," the boy squeaked gratefully. Bella nodded than clasped her hands together, looking around expectantly.

"So, where's Padfoot?" James asked the question that was ringing through Bella's head. Remus opened his mouth, rolled his eyes, and gestured up the staircase. "He's waiting for us to announce him."

"Oh…I wish I would've thought of that," James pouted before clearing his throat and pointing at the staircase grandly. "Presenting, the sexiest bloke—not in my opinion, but oh well—in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Padfoot Black!"

The portrait hole swung open and Sirius Black sauntered out casually, beaming broadly. Bella watched him walk down the stairs, looking at his costume eagerly.

His torso was covered with a blue silk long-sleeved shirt with the Black Family Crest emblazed on the right hand corner. But he had obviously fixed the shirt up a bit; it was long and draped a little past his hips in an old-fashion attempt. The front was cut according to his legs, so there was a small triangle like part of the bottom of his shirt. A black belt was closed around his hip, covering up some of the shirt while the rest of it dangled downwards, untouched.

Although, Bella's favorite part of the whole ensemble was his pants; or, more accurately, tights.

Like his, shirt they were a dark blue, and clung to his legs quite nicely. Oh, and not just his legs. They showed off a few of his other assets quite well, in Bella's personal opinion. Black boots covered his calves, the tops ending just below his knee-cap. His long black hair was tied back casually, making him look much like one of Shakespeare's characters than anything else.

"Hullo loyal subjects!" Sirius greeted, sounding all high-and-mighty. Remus rolled his eyes and gestured toward Bella.

"I don't think she's a subject, Sirius; she looks more like a Countess or something of that sort."

"Oh, yes, I agree," James added in, grinning evilly, which looked rather frightening on the face of Lily. Bella stood purposefully, trying her best to look as courtly as she could. She folded her hands in front of her calmly and stood up straighter, smiling politely at Sirius, who was taking in her own costume just as eagerly as she had his.

"You are correct, Remus. Thank you for realizing it," she thanked her werewolf friend, who bowed, earning a snicker from the girl. Sirius inhaled deeply, trying to control himself. He couldn't get excited in these trousers; it would be awfully embarrassing.

"Oh, yes, I apologize, Countess," Sirius said, bowing as Remus had done while grabbing her hand and kissing it softly. "Please excuse my insolence."

Bella pretended to be cross, but quickly stopped, knowing she wasn't fooling anyone. "Yes, well, don't do it again."

Sirius stood up and beamed at the girl, role-playing over. "You really do look smashing, love."

"I better! It took four damn hours to get ready; and you look absolutely sexy, dear," she replied, walking with her four friends into the Great Hall. Jess was currently dancing with one boy, her eyes darting towards the food table than the bathroom door before she murmured something to her dance partner and hurried away into the ladies room. Bella raised a brow but didn't comment; she knew Jess was going to have an awful time keeping three dates entertained all night. Remus and Bella went to find a table while the other three smiled mischievously and said they had something to 'attend to.' Bella didn't question because she didn't want an answer and Remus just dutifully ignored them.

"That costume looks really itchy, dear," Bella told her friend when they finally got a table. He laughed and shrugged his shoulders.

"It's not too bad. Most of its transfiguration, so it's not anything I haven't dealt with before. I have a question for you, though; how did you get away this Full Moon without getting so much as a scratch on you?"

Bella smiled. The Full Moon had passed two days ago and, unfortunately, the other three Marauders had landed detention with McGonagall that night and couldn't make it outside. "Simple; I was quick. You're awfully playful, you know."

Although his face was brown and covered in fur, she could still see the embarrassed blush on his cheeks. Suddenly, the three missing boys popped up, all grinning, and sat into three unused chairs. Sirius grabbed the chair next to Bella and sat, holding a glass of punch in his hand. "This night is going to be interesting, don't you agree, Prongsy?"

"Why, yes, Padfoot; I do!"

Peter was snickering as the two best friends grinned at each other knowingly. Bella ignored them.

"Hullo Bella." She looked behind her and smiled widely at Luke, who was dressed up like Nearly Headless Nick.

"Hi Luke! You look absolutely ghastly," she said happily, making the boy laugh.

"Well, that's good. And you look gorgeous," he told her, grasping her hand and pulling her up before spinning her around slowly. She blushed, but continued to grin at him happily.

"Thank you."

"Would you like to dance?"

"Hm…yes, I would." And off they went, completely unaware of the glares coming from a certain Black. James stared at his friend, grinning madly, before shooting confetti from the end of his wand at him. Sirius turned to his friend, his lips spread into a grin.

"Now you look like you're ready to party," James teased. Sirius pulled out his own wand and twirled it around, thinking over something.

"Oh, yes, I bet I do. Here, let me return the favor! The Giant Squid will absolutely love you when I'm finished."

James scowled and stood up. "Don't even, Padfoot. My costume isn't water-proof."

That stopped Sirius for minute. "Its transfiguration, Prongs."

"And it can wash off, right Moony?"

"No." Remus's response was deadpan.

"Come on, Prongsy; the Giant Squid is waiting," Sirius sing-songed and chased after his friend as James took off.

"Where did you get this costume?" Bella asked, pulling at the collar of Luke's petticoat. He grinned widely.

"Professor Dumbledore gave it to me."

"Really? How odd," Bella said. She grinned as Luke twirled her around in tune to the music pulsating in the hall. Bodies were tightly condensed, all of them moving in some way. Whether it be dancing, or walking, or running, they were all moving. And than there was yelling.

"JAMES POTTER, YOU PRAT! WHO THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU TO DRESS AS ME?!"

Bella sighed heavily and pulled away from Luke, who looked a bit disappointed. "Sorry, dear, but I must go make sure Lily doesn't harm poor Jamie."

She pushed through the crowd of people, gently prying her away in between bodies and couples. She passed Jess, who grabbed onto her shoulder so she could make it to the front of the crowd too. Unfortunately, Severus was in the crowd and when he saw the two making their way forward, he purposely stood in front of them, blocking their path. Bella frowned.

"Pardon me, Severus, I need to get through," she said apologetically. The boy just glowered at her and didn't budge from his spot. So, Jess took control. She squeezed in between Snape and Bella, took a deep breath, and yelled.

"MOVE YOUR ASS, SNAPE!"

He jumped slightly than turned to face her completely, glaring angrily. "I'm fine right here."

"Well, go be fine over there," Jess responded, pointing at a spot a few feet away. He pulled out his wand form inside his cloak, still glowering, and raised it to hex her. Bella whipped out her own wand and caught him before he could do anything.

"Expelliarmus!"

Snape's wand went flying in the air before landing on the ground behind him with a clatter. He scowled at Bella and made a move to walk towards her, but was stopped by three boys behind him.

"Who are you to raise your wand to my date?" one of them growled. The second one looked at Jess worriedly, who had blanched.

"Are you alright, Jess?" She nodded.

"Whoa, mate, don't talk to my date. Talk to your own," the last one said, nodding towards Bella, who raised both brows incredulously. The second boy blinked and shook his head.

"Your date? Oh no, I think you're mistaken; Jessica is my date."

"Oh, Merlin," Jess groaned pathetically as the three boys began to discover that they were all correct. Bella quickly squeezed past the boys and into the scene of all the commotion. James was hiding behind Sirius, who looked like beyond annoyed, as a fuming Lily glared at the messy-haired fifth year.

"I see you found out his costume! Excellent," Bella exclaimed cheerily, walking up to her friend's side. Lily turned on her, her green eyes blazing with fury.

"Excellent? No, this certainly is NOT excellent, Bells; its embarrassing!"

"How so?"

"H-he's dressed up as ME!"

"Oh, I know, I thought it was flattering. I mean, if someone did that for me, I'd probably die from some really good feeling." Bella's face was scrunched up as she tried to think of the feeling that had been in her mind just a moment ago. Lily rolled her eyes and glared at James again.

"You would, Izzy. But I'm not you! It's so embarrassing!"

"Want to know what's embarrassing? Everyone watching you make an arse of yourself," Bella whispered, nodding towards the large crowd. Lily blinked rapidly and glanced over her shoulder before swearing and closing her eyes. The wand which had been pointing at Sirius and James slowly lowered to her side and Bella grinned happily at her success. Henry walked over and draped an arm around her shoulders, guiding her away from the two boys, one of which was now glaring viciously at O'Donnell. Bella turned to the crowd.

"Don't you have some kind of dancing to do?"

Murmurs spread around as the crowd dispersed and Bella turned back to James. "Told you so."

He scowled impressively. Sirius was staring at Bella's feet, though, which earned a head-cock from her. "Er, Sirius? Why are you staring at my feet?"

"You aren't wearing heels?"

Bella flushed. "Oh, that. Well, no, because I've learned, from experience, mind you, that if I wear heels, gravity has an increased effect on me. And my clumsiness seems to increase as well."

He laughed and walked over to her as everyone started to danced again. "So, love, are you done dancing with Terry? Or do I have to wait?"

"Hm? Wait for what?"

"For a dance with you, of course. What else?"

"Oh! No, dear, I'm done, I believe," she answered automatically as James walked back to their table, muttering—"Damn Henry, damn Lily, damn costume, damn Sirius…"—under his breath. Sirius rolled his gray eyes at the mutterings of his friend but led Bella out on to the dance floor elegantly. Luke had only twirled Bella around a bit because he, much like her, couldn't really dance. Sirius, however, was a different story completely.

"Uh, Sirius, I should probably warn you, I'm not good at dancing. At all. I couldn't dance even if my life depended on it. I mean, I would try to in order to save my life, but would probably end up falling and getting a concussion and forgetting everything in my whole life. Or I'd fall and impale myself something grotesque," she babbled, frowning and looking kind of depressed by the end. Sirius rolled his eyes at her needless chatter and twirled her around calmly. She fumbled slightly at the beginning of the dance, flushed each time she stepped on his feet. But she soon got into the rhythm of movement, stepping on him less and less.

"Do all of the Black's know how to dance?" she inquired curiously. Sirius shrugged.

"More or less, I suppose; Regulus and I do, so does my father. But I'm not sure about the rest of my family," he answered distantly. Bella stared at him, regretting bringing it up. She grinned widely and grabbed his hand, ending their waltz as she began to walk towards the entrance. He watched her trying to drag him amusedly.

"And where are you planning on taking me; a broom closet to have your way with me?"

Bella's face flushed as she stumbled for an answer. "Ugh! Wha—you little—No, I wanted to go to the Quidditch Pitch, you pig! It's too crowded in here and…" She trailed off. Sirius laughed at her reaction and began to walk with her to the Pitch, grinning down at her still flushed face.

"Your reactions are so amusing," he informed her. Bella stuck her tongue out at him and he laughed happily, walking down a pair of stone steps that led outside. The walk to the pitch was relatively silent, the sound of the gentle breeze the only sound in the air. Leaves swirled in the wind, the colors matching the spirit of Halloween expertly. Sirius began to hum calmly, his eyes locked on the pitch directly in front of them. The fairies were still darting around, just streaks of orange and black in the night.

Bella gently pressed her dress down against her, making the bell-shape it had been in flatten, before she sat beside Sirius on the grass. The night was relatively light, seeing as the full moon had only been two nights ago.

"Are you going to tell me who you're mystery crush is, love?" Sirius asked after a few minutes of compatible silence.

Bella sighed and lay down on her elbow, staring at him as he did the same. "You aren't going to give up, are you?"

"Nope," he grinned. She rolled her eyes, feigning annoyance.

"Well, he's someone you know," she muttered slowly. Sirius's eyes suddenly lit up in fury.

"Is it James? Because if it is, he won't have to worry about his mother neutering him; I'll do it gladly."

"Ugh! Ew, gross, Sirius! No, it's not Jamie! Ugh…" Bella made a face of disgust. "I mean, I love him dearly, but not like that. Ew."

He released a sigh. "Ok, so James isn't a candidate. Is it Remus?"

"Mm-mm." She shook her head.

"Peter?"

Bella gave him a deadpan look and he barked a laugh.

"Hm…" Sirius murmured, thinking it over. Bella unconsciously moved slightly closer to him, not making much eye-contact.

"You know him really well," she encouraged. He raised a brow, ultra-aware of her sudden closeness, but not saying anything, afraid she might move back. He brought a hand up her hair and softly played with a strand.

"How did you get your hair like this?" he wondered aloud. Bella swallowed, trying to regulate her frantic heartbeats.

"Uhm…Jess did it. Some kind of spell," she choked out. He nodded absently, gently bringing a hand through the rest of her hair, releasing most of it from its hold. Bella's eyes closed and she sighed contentedly as his hand ran through the rest of her hair. The black curls fell down her back gracefully, touching the grass because of the way she was sitting. Sirius watched her smile and he moved closer, leaving only a few inches between him and her.

"How well do I know this bloke?" he whispered and Bella sighed again, not aware of his closeness. His hand was still tangled slightly in her hair, which was very distracting from the question.

"You should know him better than anyone else."

"Hm…really?"

"Yep."

Sirius watched her lips form the 'p' in her response and his self-restraint, which had already begun to weaken, crumbled. He closed the rest of the space between their faces, touching her lips with his. Bella's eyes opened half-way, shocked, but they didn't stay open for too long. She reacted after the initial shock wore off. Sirius lay down in the grass, pulling Bella on top of his body, never breaking the connection. His now unoccupied arm wound his way around her waist as he opened his mouth, opening the girl's as well. A rush of air entered his lungs as he slipped his tongue into her mouth.

Bella was in complete bliss. The hand in her hair idly played with loose strands while the one around her waist held her up against his body tightly. She made a small noise in the back of her throat as his tongue swirled in her mouth slowly, touching her teeth, her cheeks, her tongue, everything it could reach. His lips quirked upwards slightly at the noise, but didn't release her in anyway. Bella wanted to stay this way for the rest of the night; just laying there, kissing him endlessly while everything else continued. But, unfortunately, they're only human; they need oxygen, which their lungs were currently lacking.

As they pulled away, Bella instantly laid her head on his chest while the hand in her hair began to stroke the strands softly.

"How do you think he would respond to me kissing you?" Sirius asked once he had regained his regular breathing pattern. Bella shrugged.

"Mm, I don't know. Why don't you tell me?"

"Oh, he was encouraging me the whole time." He felt Bella smile against his chest.

"Well, than, I guess he would be rather happy."

The two stayed like that for a while until there was sudden cheering from the stands. Bella shot up and blinked when she saw all of their friend's sitting there. Jess and James were cheering loudly, whooping and wolf-whistling, the whole nine yards. Lily was sitting beside Remus, both looking pleased but not as…flamboyant about it as the other two. Peter looked uncomfortable as he fiddled with the invisibility cloak that was draped over his legs.

"You've got to be kidding me," Bella muttered, scowling at James and Jess. Sirius was watching them with a look of amusement on his face, wondering how in the world they even knew that the two of them were down here. He sat up slowly, making Bella fall into his lap, which he didn't object to in any way. He waved for the other's to come down as both of his arms wrapped around Bella's waist, who was still scowling at Jess and James.

"It's about bloody time," Jess exclaimed as she sat down on the grass. James sat on Sirius's right while Lily sat on his left, for Bella's company. Remus sat beside James and Peter sat between Remus and Jess. The group made a circle, with Bella still sitting in Sirius's lap.

"How in the hell did you even find us?" Bella demanded. Sirius placed his chin on her shoulder and tilted his head to stare at James, waiting for him to answer.

"Well, I didn't see you leave. But I was looking for you because our prank was about to go off," James began, grinning. Sirius grinned back and snickered.

"But McGonagall must've suspected it because it never went off and she was smiling all smug-like," James muttered. "Anyway, it got boring after that, and Lily came over looking for Bells. When we realized both of you were gone, we got everyone together and went in search of you. And Lily, being so smart—" he made googly eyes at Lily "—she saw you two at the pitch. And voila, here we are!"

Sirius frowned. "She stopped the prank. Talk about a fun-killer."

Bella looked back at Sirius, than at James, than back again. "I'm going to regret asking this, but what did you do anyway?"

"Well, you know the suits of armor? Well, they were made to do anything; just decoration. But everyone thought they were going to do something at some time and you know how we hate to see people disappointed," Sirius explained, grinning innocently. Bella fought a smile and instead raised both brows.

"Anyway, we decided that they should explode. Into fireworks! How cool would that have been?" James exclaimed. Bella began to laugh, along with jess, while Lily frowned disapprovingly and Remus smiled at his friend's fondly. They were some of the most troublesome people he's ever met and he wouldn't trade them for anything; not even a cure for his lycanthropy.

"Oh no…" James muttered. Everyone looked at him and he looked at Sirius desperately. "I need to go to the bathroom. But I don't know which bloody one to use!"

Sirius laughed loudly at his friend's predicament, while James looked at him, completely serious. "I'm serious, Sirius! I—"

"I thought I was Sirius?"

James glared. "Not the time, Padfoot. Which one do I use?!"

Lily looked absolutely horrified in her spot as Sirius thought it over. Suddenly, a suggestive smile adorned his features.

"The ladies room, of course," he stated, than, in a whisper, he added, "You might get to see some act—"

Bella whacked him on the head, glaring, before she turned to James. "Use the men's room. They have cubicles, don't they?"

"Yes," Jess answered automatically. Everyone looked at her, each one looking either one) curious or two) horrified. Bella just shook her head and turned to James, who was already darting back to the castle, his dress flying behind him. She shook her head and laid back against Sirius's chest, who was currently rubbing his head. "That was abusive, love."

"You were being a cad, Sirius. I had to do something."

He muttered something unintelligible and hugged her closer, nuzzling her neck affectionately. He obviously wasn't too mad at her, if at all.

"Mm…wh-where's Henry, Lily?" Bella managed to ask, despite Sirius laying soft kisses on her neck. Lily shrugged.

"I told him I lost you and need to go find you. He understood." Her emerald eyes gleamed happily at that statement, obviously thinking that to be a rather good thing.

"And you, Jess?"

"Oh, they dumped me when they realized I was going with all of them. Ah, well, there are plenty of male fishies in the sea, eh?" Jess wriggled her brow suggestively, earning a laugh from Bella. Sirius contained the throaty sound he was about to make at the feel of Bella's vibrating throat against his lips.

"HA! You owe me two galleons, Izzy!" Lily cried out. Bella stuck her tongue out childishly as they began to argue good-naturedly.

The group spent the rest of the night outside on the pitch, talking and laughing and living life, just like the students within the castle.

And not one of them, not the students in the Great Hall or the group on the pitch, were aware of the growing threat that lay just beyond the walls of Hogwarts, the threat that would soon make itself known throughout the Wizardry World.

**Mk, so now Voldy's all introduced...kinda. And i just realized, when i was writing this, how some aspects of Bella are alot like Stephenie Meyer's Bella from Twilight. I DID NOT STEAL! It just happened! I promise! **

**You wanna Reveiw, you know you do. just give in to temptation. :3 Plz? **


	10. Rainy Days

**A/N: AH! another looong time b4 i updated. I apologize. But i FINALLY got my hands on Breaking Dawn and, of course, i was in a total Twilight Zone (ha! get it? XD) and i had other stuff for High School. But, good news, i have, including weekend, FIVE DAYS off of school, seeing as tomorrow's Turkey Day. So, my aim is to get three chapters in! Yay! Welp, get reading! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sirius, Lily, Remus, Peter, James, Dumbledore, McGonagall...Ok, it'll be easier to tell you what i _do _own: my OCs. And this nonexistent plot. Oh, wow, that's depressing. (Sob)**

Chapter Ten: Rainy Days

**--Two Weeks Later--**

The grounds were drenched in a thin rain that had continued to pour for the past three days straight. Students would occasionally glance out of a window or through the archway that led to the courtyard, hoping to see the sun blaring through the drizzle, but it never happened; the rain continued relentlessly. James and Sirius were getting rather fed up with the weather and have been searching for any kind of spell or charm to switch it to their liking. Lily, of course, told them there was no such thing. Sirius's reply was, "Your negativity is unwanted. Be gone!"

And James's reply to that was frantic. He was practically tripping over himself to try and convince Lily to help them, who refused with hostility, as always. Remus was in the library more frequently, reading up on information for the essay due in Mr. Binns class next week.

Jessica was on strike. She refused to due work, claiming it "clouded up her inner-eye and made all judgments hazy." McGonagall would fire her a stern look, which Jess received calmly while conjuring up a small banner that waved and rippled with magic, the words 'Kick the text! Kick the work! Have some fun! Have some perk!' flashing brightly every few seconds.

Peter was…well, he was Peter; always trailing with James and Sirius on their pranks and laughing rather obnoxiously at the harm it caused Slytherins. He would really be nothing but a follower.

And Bella, was…well, she was behind. While all of her friends, and unofficial boyfriend, hung out, had fun, and actually had lives, she was stuck in the common room, catching up on homework. She currently had three 2-rolls-of-parchment length essays along with a complicated potion all overdue while she still had three other assignments due the next day. Lily offered to help numerous times, but Bella would politely turn her down and continue working, beginning at about seven-thirty every morning (on weekends) and ending at about eight at night.

"'The Giants of the North were brute creatures that relied upon strength alone while the Giants of the South were cunning and…'" she muttered one night, frantically scribbling down everything she wrote. Her other two essays were finished, along with the Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts assignments due tomorrow. She still had the potion and the rest of this essay, along with Astronomy and Divination to finish. She groaned, tossing her quill on the table and laying her head down, frowning.

"I hate work. Maybe Jess has the right idea with all of this strike rubbish," she muttered crossly. Her black hair was up in a sloppy bun, some tendrils spiraling down her neck and temples. A pair of cotton plaid pajama pants hung on her hips while a black T-shirt with a picture of Hello Kitty covered her torso. Unfortunately, her pants were too big, revealing her belly-button and a small inch of skin beneath it. Her piercing was a stormy gray; stressed.

Suddenly, the couch which lay behind her sunk down and the frame vibrated slightly. She picked her head off the table and leaned it backwards, laying it softly on the cushions. A pair of amused gray eyes met her own blue ones and she smiled.

"Hullo Sirius," she greeted through a yawn. Said boy gently slid off the couch and onto the floor beside her, his legs stretched under the table while an arm slung around her waist, drawing her close to his side.

"Hullo love. What are you doing, if you don't mind me asking?" he asked, gesturing at the cluster of papers on her table. She sighed, laid her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes.

"Homework…catch-up work…whatever the hell you want to call it, I'm doing it."

Sirius softly pulled her into his lap, rubbing her back calmly while kissing the top of her head. "Mmm…what kind of shampoo do you use?"

Bella raised a brow, looking up at Sirius through her lashes. He was unaware; due to the fact his eyes were now closed. "Uhm…I think it's called Passion Fruit, but I'm not sure. Why?"

"Your hair smells absolutely divine, that's why," he murmured. Her pale face lit up at the comment and she smiled shyly, leaning against his chest calmly while his unoccupied hand tapped across the exposed bit of stomach.

The past couple weeks for the two had been full of rumors flying, teasing from their friends, some envious stares from girls, and, of course, snogging.

But there something else hidden under the surface; a kind of feeling that was stirring inside of Sirius. He hadn't felt it before when he was with any other girl and wasn't exactly sure how to describe it properly, even to himself. All he knew was that whenever he was around Bella, he couldn't help but feel elated and lighthearted and just plainly happy. He didn't like seeing her so stressed out and as he did, it produced a kind of protective response from him; all he wanted to do was make her smile like she always does.

He felt otherworldly around her and as if nothing really existed besides them. And it wasn't just like this when they snogged. It was like it all the time; when they talked, when they kissed, when they flirted, and when they just held each other, like now. These feelings were new and foreign to him…and absolutely terrifying.

All of his other 'relationships' were basically based on how well the girl looked, snogged, and well…treated him. He never went for anything beyond that, moving from girl to girl with each week or, if the girl's lucky, every other week. But with Bella…it was completely different. He still loved to kiss her and touch her and stare at her, but he was content with talking and laughing and just playing around too, which was something he was never really content with in any other relationship.

And it scared him.

"Hm…I have to finish," Bella murmured dismally. Sirius smiled down at her in amusement, not missing the look of despair that crossed her features. He had to laugh, earning a scowl from the girl.

"It is not funny, Black. I have so much to do! It's suffocating!" she exclaimed, sitting upright, flailing her arms for emphasis. Sirius gently held her arms down against her sides and smiled at her again, noting the way her face shifted from white to pink instantly. He leaned forward and gently brushed his lips against her own, applying a small amount of pressure.

"You," he whispered, softly nudging her nose with his, "need to take a break."

Bella sighed, sending an unintentional shiver down Sirius's spine, who instantly kissed her. Their lips molded together tightly, both mouths opening in unison, allowing their tongues to slowly slide past each other. Bella's muscle retracted, allowing his entrance into her mouth, which he took up without hesitation. His tongue swept her mouth, massaging the roof and her own muscle sensually. His hands had long since released Bella from her bind; one was tangled in her hair, which he had pulled from the ponytail expertly, while the other was caressing her cheek fondly, the pad of his thumb brushing across it every now and again. Her free arms wound around his neck, both delicate hands running through his hair slowly.

And the only thing that ruins moments like these worse than James is lack of oxygen.

Sirius's hands didn't withdraw from their positions when he had to pull away from Bella's lips; the hand in her hair softly ran through the strands, than began playing with loose strands, while the one caressing her cheek continued doing what it had been. It only retracted when Bella laid her head down on Sirius's chest and instead laced around her waist protectively, pulling her tightly against him.

"What happens when I fail because you didn't let me finish my assignments?" Bella yawned, her eyes closing. Sirius thought for a second.

"You'll think twice before leaving it to do at the last minute, now won't you, love?"

Bella huffed at his jibe, but otherwise didn't respond. In the next few minutes, her breathing slowed and grew deeper, earning a sigh from Sirius. He carefully folded her into his arms and stood up, carrying her bridal style up the stairs. He was almost about to try and go up the girl's dormitory stairs but knew better from past experiences; besides, he didn't want to wake Bella up. Instead, he walked up his own steps and entered the room he shared with the other Marauders, opening the door quietly.

James was half on his bed and half off. His head and left arm, along with pretty much his whole left side were dangling off the bed, his covers wrapped around him tightly and messily. His mouth was wide open, occasional snorts coming from the open trap. Frank was quiet, now that the Marauder's had begun to use the silencing charm to shut off his Earth Shaking snores.

Remus was tightly wound in his blankets, his back to Sirius, seeming to be at peace in sleep. The only real part of his body that was visible was his sandy-colored hair. Peter was, shockingly, missing from their dormitory, but Sirius didn't dwell on it when Bella very softly snored in his arms. Smiling down at her fondly, he walked over to his bed, pulled back the covers with his wand, and gently laid her down on the left side of the bed, the one closest to the window. Pulling the curtains around his bed, he made sure the others hadn't woken up before stripping down into his red silk boxers. He climbed in beside Bella, pulled up the comforter, and softly tucked her into his side while covering both of them with the blanket.

"Goodnight love," he whispered quietly, kissing her temple before laying his cheek on the top of her head and drifting farther away from consciousness.

-.-.-.-.-

"Do you think they…_you know_?"

"Prongs!"

_Whack!_

"Ow, what the bloody hell was _that_ for, Moony?"

"For being a cad."

"Well!"

"Shh, shut up, they're waking up!"

Sirius groaned and sighed before allowing his eyelids to flutter open. He didn't want to wake up; it was too early and he was perfectly comfortable with the way he was laying now. There was something warm and tender and small cuddled up beside him and he sure as hell didn't want to move; Bella was too tempting for her own good really.

He finally looked down at her and a smile touched his lips. Her black hair was twisted and knotted around her face, but still shined brightly. Her lips were parted, the warm breath exiting fanning over his bare chest softly. He didn't look farther down because he certainly felt some exposed skin that was not exposed last night pressed against his abdomen. He guessed her t-shirt had ridden up but, once again, didn't check. Then he finally registered the voices.

"Well, he seems to be awake…"

"How can we tell?"

"Poke him!"

"Oh, genius, yeah, smart, Wormtail."

"Oi, Padfoot, are you up?"

Sirius scowled over his shoulder at his three friends who stood beyond the curtain shielding the pair. Remus smiled at him sheepishly while James scowled protectively, his arms crossed tightly while his face beamed a dark red color, his voice stumbling slightly as he voiced his question out loud.

"Padfoot, you didn't…uh…_deflower_ her did you?"

Sirius snorted at James's choice of word phrasing to indicate her virginity while Remus covered his mouth to stop the laughter. "No, Prongs, she's still very much a virgin. She fell asleep last night and I couldn't leave her downstairs, so I brought her up here."

Remus's eyebrows rose in unison while James stared at his friend with a goofy, knowing smile lighting up his features. Peter looked slightly smug, his arms crossed. Sirius frowned.

"Why are you blokes looking at me like that?"

"Well, it's just that…girls have fallen asleep in your arms downstairs all the time, but you never bring them up here unless you…" James trailed off, blushing. Sirius smirked.

"_Deflower_ her?"

"Shut up."

"_Ravish_ her?"

"Sirius…"

"_Shag_ her?"

The curtain was jerked open and a pillow smacked into Sirius's face. The said boy couldn't block it because his arms were currently full of a certain black-haired girl snuggled up to his side. Who was, Sirius noticed, beginning to wake up.

"Mmm…" she groaned, burying her face in his bare chest. The extra three Marauders scuttled out of the room quietly, still in their PJs, so as to leave the two alone.

"Notice anything different about the way he treats Bella compared to his other girl's, James?" Remus questioned calmly, plopping on the couch sleepily. James smiled largely.

"Why, yes, in fact, I do! I believe out little Padfoot is in—" kissy face, courtesy of James "—_looove_!"

Remus whacked James upside the head while gathering Bella's discarded papers on the table. "Never make those faces again, Prongs. Ever."

"Morning love," Sirius muttered, gently nuzzling the top of her head. Bella pulled away from his chest, blinked blearily and smiled up at her kidnapper lazily.

"Morning dear," she responded calmly, sitting up straight. The boy still laying down swallowed hard, noticing how far her tank top had ridden; it was currently crumpled just under her breasts, which she seemed utterly oblivious to. Sirius gently grabbed the hem of the shirt and tugged it down, sitting up beside her. She looked at him curiously, than looked down and her face flashed a bright red. She hurriedly pushed it back down and turned her face away from Sirius, the unnatural red still beaming on her cheeks. Sirius chuckled softly and grabbed her chin, gently turning it so she was facing him. Her blush increased.

"Would it make you feel better if I said I barely noticed?" he teased, kissing her lightly. She sighed and shrugged as his arm looped around her waist possessively.

"I don't believe so," she responded calmly. He smiled lopsidedly and gently ran his fingers through her tangled hair. She winced slightly as he pulled out a few knots, but he just kissed her again, making the slight pain ebb.

After a few minutes of this, Bella sighed loudly. "I have to get dressed," she announced, her voice irate. Sirius frowned and laid back down, his arm around her waist dragging her down beside him. She grinned widely and snuggled up to his side for a minute, enjoying the way his arm tightened around her very much. But she soon blew out a gust of air and sat back up, smiling down at the annoyed teenager in the bed.

"I really need to get ready. So do you," she added, flushing when she realized he was bare-chested. Sirius groaned loudly and pressed his lips together tightly, throwing his arm over his head. Bella rolled her eyes but softly leaned down to kiss his neck gently, earning a low sound from the boy. Grinning, she pulled away and hopped up, walking through the room casually. She supposed she should feel violated that she had been brought up to his room in the middle of the night and woke up beside him, but she wasn't; she was actually quite the opposite.

_Must be my hormones,_ she decided silently, walking up the girl's staircase and entering her dorm, only to get pounced on by a very eager Jess.

"You're no longer Virgin Vagina!" she exclaimed excitedly, bouncing up and down happily. Bella stared at her friend with her mouth agape, speechless.

"So, how's Black? Is he as ah-ma-zing as we have been led to believe?" Jess pleaded. Suddenly, she gasped. "Merlin's Beard…was he better? I bet he made you scr—"

"Gah!" Bella suddenly choked out, flailing her arms wildly. Jess cocked her head to the side curiously, sitting down on her bed. The comforter crinkled under her criss-crossed legs while she stared at her flushing, stuttering friend.

"JESS! I-I didn't—I mean, we—He never—I'M STILL A VIRGIN, DAMN IT!" she finally sputtered. Jess frowned and flopped backwards unceremoniously on her bed, her arms splayed out to the sides. Her chest heaved upwards dramatically and she released the breath in a loud gust of air.

"That's very depressing, you know? I finally thought you'd seen the light after spending the night in his bed, in his dormitory, in PJs, and all that rot," she admitted unabashed. Bella rolled her eyes and waltzed over to her trunk, unclasping it and pulling out her uniform.

"Oh well, I _do_ apologize, dear, that my non-existent sex life is so depressing," she drawled. Jess lifted her head and glared at Bella as she walked into the bathroom.

"Yes, well, you should. I was finally looking forward to someone sharing my oh-so-wise insight on the human anatomy."

"I wouldn't put it past you, dear." And Bella closed the bathroom door.

---

"Ms. Serino, do you have that essay for me?" Professor Binns asked deadpan. Isabella's head snapped up from her note and she shook her head sheepishly.

"Sorry Professor, but I'll have it to you by Monday, I promise! Or tomorrow, if you like," she added hastily. The ghost just shrugged and floated back to the front of the class, continuing his lecture on the Goblin-Veela War in the 1700s. Lily elbowed Bella in the ribs softly, giving her a stern look and Bella just shrugged lightly, writing on the paper again. Jess was currently sitting in the front of the class, pouting uselessly; she had been causing too much trouble and was moved a few days previous.

Bella flexed her wrist, making the wand move intricately and the paper folded into a small hummingbird which quickly zipped over to Jess, who opened it eagerly as if she was just given a lifeline.

"You should be taking notes," Lily muttered, not moving her lips. Bella cocked a brow and looked at the empty sheet of parchment in front of her friend.

"Look at the pot calling the kettle black."

Lily flushed the color of her hair. "But I'm at least _paying attention_!" she hissed defensively. Bella rolled her eyes and smiled fondly, running a hand through her curly black hair. The Marauders were sitting just a few rows ahead of the girls, currently playing extreme tic-tac-toe, where, if you lost, your body got covered in whichever symbol you used; if you played multiple times, well, than, the symbols covered you multiple times.

James was, most certainly, losing.

"What're you doing this weekend?" Lily murmured, finally giving up the charade she was trying to pull off by staring at the ghoul of a teacher, pretending to pay attention. Bella flashed a look to Sirius but shrugged nonchalantly.

"Nothing. What about you?"

"Mm-mm, nothing," she answered with a shake of her head. Bella suddenly shot up and she grinned at Lily happily, an idea popping into her head.

"Lily, how about we—"

"No."

"But you haven't—"

"No."

"Aw, Lils, stop—"

"No."

"Argh! Stubborn ass," Bella grumbled, slumping back down, her face drawn into a scowl. She crossed her arms tightly and pouted, sulking ever-so-strongly while Lily just rolled her green orbs and began to scribble in a black journal with a red and gold quill. Finally, after several loud and irritating huffs from her friend, she shut it and scowled over at Bells.

"Fine, what's this **brilliant** idea?" she seethed. Bella brightened considerably and she grinned at Lily, her eyes shining with excitement.

"Alright, well, I was thinking we should—" But than everyone began to gather their things and were leaving. Bella puffed her cheeks out angrily but stood up and slung her bag over her shoulder, Lily following suit. "I'll tell you later. Got to head off to Divination," she muttered before heading off to the North Tower. She yawned widely and stretched, giving greetings to those she knew and polite nods to those she didn't. Glancing out of the glassless, arched windows, she frowned; it was still raining. She was really getting sick of all of this rain. As she came to the archway that led into the courtyard, she stood there for a second, staring out into the sheet of rain tumbling down before dropping her bag and walking out of the castle, into the light drizzle. Despite her annoyance with its consistency, she loved the rain; it was kind of cleansing in a way.

With her arms outstretched and her palms facing upwards, she walked into the rain happily, grinning widely as the droplets cascaded down onto her face, her hands, her body. They made soft splashing noises, almost a pattering sound. Her shoes squelched with water as the liquid slowly seeped into them, drenching her socks mercilessly. A laugh rolled off her tongue as she slowly twirled around, her skirt flaring out around her slightly. Her whole frame was soon dripping with water, becoming a part of the rain unknowingly.

She laughed again and began to twirl faster, being careful not to move away from her spot, afraid of slipping with her uncoordinated feet.

"Bella?"

She opened one eye and looked over at the archway, frowning slightly, until she noticed who it was. Sirius was standing there, an eyebrow raised and a smile on his face as he leaned against the frame of the entry. She stopped twirling and let her arms fall beside her, raising one to wave at him happily, blinking raindrops from her eyes.

"What're you doing, love?"

"Standing in the rain," she called back. He shook his head amusedly and motioned for her to come out of the rain, but she stayed where she was, shaking her head in response.

"Come on, love; you're going to get sick!"

"Nuh-uh!"

Sirius frowned slightly and took off his school robe, leaving him in his trousers and white shirt, complete with his red and gold striped tie as he walked out into the rain towards her. The rain quickly clung to his hair and his body, the droplets glistening with each movement until he stopped a few inches from Bella. She looked up at him with innocent eyes, blinking the rain away with a smile. The boy rolled his eyes and gently cupped her cheek, smirking as she leaned into the touch instinctively. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he softly picked her off the ground and kissed the soft flesh of her lips delicately.

Isabella reached her arms around his neck and smiled into the kiss, laughing as Sirius twirled her around effortlessly before gently placing her back on the ground.

"I love the rain!" she exclaimed happily, tilting her face up to the sky with a wide smile as Sirius's arms wound back around her waist, pulling her to his chest with his head cocked to the side slightly.

"Why? I thought you liked snow."

Bella shrugged and snuggled into his chest, her arms folded against her chest, her palms pressing against the now translucent white shirt covering his torso. "It's basically the same thing, really. But I like both anyways."

"Mmm," Sirius hummed softly, laying his cheek against the top of her wet hair. His hand made long strokes up and down her soaked back slowly, emitting a soft sigh of contentment from her. They stood like that, him holding her against his chest softly, for a few long moments until he pulled away, kissing her forehead, and leading her back into the castle. By the time they were in the dry confides, Bella was shivering lightly, her teeth chattering quietly. Sirius draped his warm, dry robe over her shoulders and grinned down at her when she looked up questionably.

"This should keep you warm, love," he said. Bella blinked and frowned, looking at his dripping figure, ignoring the muscles on his chest that were now visible.

"And what about you? Are you just going to stay all wet and…drippy?"

Sirius laughed. "'Drippy?'"

Bella blushed before huffing and slinging her bag back over her shoulder. "Yes, drippy; you better hope Peeves doesn't find us or you'll be in trou-_ou_-ble." She sing-songed the last word patronizingly. Sirius shrugged, slipping his arm around her shoulders and leading her the opposite way from class. Bella didn't object though; she wasn't in the mood to learn she's going to die tragically and in the next 48-years, like yesterday. Or that her 'inner eye' was fogged with uncertainty. She wasn't even sure if an inner eye existed. And if it did, she wondered if there was a way to get it surgically removed or if you had to live with it forever. After all, it must be a pain to see the same people dying tragic, horrible, gory deaths everyday freaking day of every freaking year.

"Jess thought we shagged this morning," Bella piped up absently as Sirius repeated the password for the Fat Lady. His eyebrows rose in unison as they walked over to the couch and sat down, Bella snuggling up into his side. "She thought I was no longer, quote, 'Virgin Vagina', unquote."

Sirius snorted. "Nice nickname. Did she think of it herself or find in some sex book?"

Bella shrugged. "I'd guess a sex book. Or a porn magazine; Merlin knows she has enough of those to gain some information."

Sirius stared down at Bella at this new revelation, than roared with laughter. "She-she reads **porn**?"

Bella grinned, snickering slightly. "Whoops. I don't think I was supposed to tell anyone. Oh yeah, I remember now; I found them earlier in fourth year and she threatened to twist me into a very painful position that would resemble a pretzel if I ever told anyone. Oops."

Sirius softly pulled her into his lap, nuzzling the side of her face lightly, still laughing softly. Bella sighed happily but shivered again, making Sirius pull back and frown before picking her off his lap and setting her on her feet. "You should go change or you'll get sick."

Bella pouted but didn't argue as he gently nudged her towards the girls' dormitories. "What about you?"

"Hm…I better go and change too, eh?" Sirius mused before walking over to her, leaning down and kissing her cheek chastely, than ran up the boys' stairs. The sound of a door opening than closing reached Bella's ears before she walked up the stairs and entered her own dorm. Clothes were littered all around, mostly underwear and bras and dirty jeans. She padded across the garments and opened her trunk, pulling out a long, blue T-shirt and a pair of old capris. Quickly undressing, she slipped into the new clothes, frowned when she forgot to put on a new bra and underwear, but shrugging it off as she slid Sirius's wet robe over her arm, waltzing out of the dorm. Her foot got caught on a hair of thin underwear, though, and she stumbled out of the dorm, flailing before falling against the wall ungracefully. She frowned. "Damn, and I was doing so well."

Closing the door, she walked down the steps while pulling out her wand and softly drawing out the water from her hair. Sirius, who was sitting on the couch already, watched her with a perplexed expression. "What are you doing, love?"

"Drying my hair."

"With your wand?"

"Yes…why?"

He frowned. "You couldn't have done that with our clothes?"

Bella plopped down beside him, blinking rapidly before grinning goofily. "Oh! Well, I suppose I could have. Hm…I didn't even think of it…"

Sirius rolled his eyes and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his lap softly. "Of course you didn't."

"Are you teasing me?"

"Yes, I am."

"Bleh," Bella made a face. Sirius smiled cockily before drawing her between his legs, laying across the length of the couch leisurely, holding her tightly. She lay there for a few minutes before shooting up suddenly, making the boy frown deeply. "Oh! I can finish my work!"

Sirius shook his head and pulled her back down. "Not with me here, you don't. We are not working."

"But, I need to—"

"Nope."

"Sirius! I really have—"

"No."

"Damn it, my—"

"Not happening, love."

"ARGH! What is with people cutting me off _continually_ today? Do you all have some kind of freaking _disease_? Or are you trying to make me annoyed?" she snapped harshly, pouting. Sirius raised a brow, unrepentant.

"Who else—"

"Lily."

"Ah."

Bella continued to seethe quietly, Sirius watching her with amusement while toying with a strand of her hair.

His mind drifted back to this weird feeling he got around Bella constantly. He frowned internally.

Every time she laughed or smiled, he felt like nothing could hurt him, she had him so high. When she was around, he only had eyes for her, and when she wasn't, she continually ran through his mind. Her voice always made him relax made his whole being attentive. She was extraordinarily and painfully addictive.

He was very wary of these feelings. Sure, he never thought of Bella being a one-night fling, like so many of his previous 'girlfriends', but he did not expect to feel like this either. And it was driving him insane.

He wanted to hate this feeling. He wanted to just tear it apart, but he couldn't; it was like someone trying to stop doing drugs or drinking alcohol. You so want to stop, but you just…can't. It's pull and hold on you is so strong, you can't fight it properly. It fogs your senses and makes you vulnerable to exposure; makes you feel weak and carefree and, sometimes, a bit apprehensive. You can't quit something that makes you feel so good.

"Potter, go away. Now."

Lily walked into the common room, her face drawn into a scowl as James followed her.

"Come on, Evans! Just one date, that's all I'm asking for, please?" he pleaded, still managing to sound cocky, as he mussed his hair. Lily scoffed and marched up the stairs, the sound of a door opening, than slamming closed echoing. James sighed and turned to the couple on the couch, who were both watching James.

"How many times is that now, James? 24?" Bella asked casually as James sat in one of cushy armchairs. He scowled at her and turned his gaze to the fire.

A few moments had passed when he finally muttered, "32."

**HAPPY THANKSGIVING!**

**How did you like the chapter? Review plz! Well, not tomorrow, cuz it's Turkey Day, but you know; plz? C:**

**It is right there. Tempting, I know. ;)**


	11. Padfoot

**A/N: wow! quick update, yeah? Yep, well, i've realized tis story is lacking a bit of a plot. So, i'll get started on that next chapter. XD I just got a fictionpress(dot)com account! But i can't post for two days. Bleh. But i already have the preface for my first story all written down, so yay! And I'm also starting another Sirius/OC story! I love my Ocs, but I know Bella is a bit of a Mary-Sue. I AM CONTINUING THIS SOTRY! i love it too much not to continue it XD But now i have another story. It's gonna be called 'Roses, Parchment, and Apple Pie', so yeah! READ ON!**

**Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling. (Sob sob)**

Chapter Eleven: Padfoot

The rain continued for the next week, flooding the grounds to the point where McGonagall and Flitwick had to use nonverbal spells to rid the campus of the water. Students, however, were ecstatic when the sun finally peeked through the clouds, lighting up Hogwarts. It was a good thing it was the weekend or there would've been an abnormal number of students skipping class.

"YES!" James cried out, running out of the castle and into the streaming sunlight, bounding towards the Black Lake. Sirius was quick to follow, running past the practically prancing James, who scowled and tried to outdo his best mate. Unfortunately, Sirius had a lot more experience with running and beat James with little effort. Remus watched them interestedly, his left eyebrow raised as Sirius pushed James into the murky waters. Peter made an odd squeaking noise of excitement before rushing to catch up, his legs flapping slightly with the effort.

"Ruddy idiots," Remus muttered under his breath, smiling fondly at his friends. He continued his own walk down to the lake more leisurely, looking around at the grass that still shined with the recent (and long persistent) rain. Leaves gleamed and dirt squelched with the overriding waters.

"Moony, come on! My grandma can _run_ faster than you're walking!" James yelled out, ringing his out his shirt, crinkling the fabric. Sirius snorted and lay back in the grass, smiling up at the sky contentedly.

"I'm sure you're exaggerating, but even so, I would probably wager that my own great-great grandfather has more grace than you do, Prongs," Remus retorted very casually. "And he has a walking stick."

Sirius roared with laughter while James narrowed his eyes at Remus before huffing and planting himself on the ground, pretending to be annoyed, but failing miserably. It probably would've played out quite nicely if he hadn't started to laugh along with Sirius.

By the time Remus had reached them, James and Sirius were chatting away. "…so, has Bells said anything about Lily? What's her favorite color? Oh, what's her favorite _cologne_?"

Sirius snorted again and rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course I know all about Lily! After all, Bella and I spend all of our time pining over the red-head in question because we are completely incapable of snogging."

His sarcasm made James frown. "Too much information there, Padfoot."

Sirius smirked. "Maybe for you." And he wriggled his brow suggestively, earning a well-aimed curse from James. Luckily, Padfoot was good at the shielding curse (_Protego_) and deflected it with ease. Peter watched his friends banter, laughing when it was appropriate and staying quiet when it wasn't. Remus just drew a book from his book-bag and leafed through it, searching for his spot.

The Marauders stayed like that for the majority of the day, until she found them.

"Oi, there you are!" Jess cried out buoyantly, flopping on the ground ungracefully. James sighed and pretended to be annoyed.

"Why are you here, Jess?"

"Because Lily's reciting her essay for Transfiguration and Bella's sleeping like the lazy git she is," the girl answered deadpan. Sirius shot up at the mention of his girlfriend and grinned mischievously before hopping up, dipping down into a bow to his audience.

"Well, this day has been wonderful, gents, but I believe there's a sleeping beauty waiting for her prince charming," he announced grandly, brandishing his wand valiantly. Remus smiled innocently.

"Well, I'd say you're more of the witty court-jester, but I suppose Bella can make-do, yeah?"

Sirius scowled but quickly ran off towards the castle, smiling the whole way. Girls he passed gave him longing looks, flirtatious smiles, and even tried to make their cleavage seem more…cleavage-y. They were all sorely tempting him, but when his head moved on its own accord to flash his charming grin, Bella's face would flash in his mind, and he's suddenly smack himself mentally before continuing onwards. It, surprisingly enough, didn't take long to get to the Gryffindor tower and into the common room.

Now there was the problem of getting upstairs. He sat down on the floor facing the offending stairs, his chin propped in his hand while he thought.

Obviously, he didn't know the counter-curse to reverse the charm that turned the stairs into a slide or else he would've been up there already. He couldn't just run up really fast, hoping he'd get to the top before the spell reacted (he's learned that from many personal experiences).

A crease formed between his eyes as he thought about the specifications of the rule.

_"Boys cannot ascend the girl's staircase because of a charm placed on them, dating back to the first beginnings of Hogwarts. The actual charm is unknown, but what can be gathered from observation, anytime a male human being steps on the stairs, it switches quickly—"_

And abruptly, Sirius got his solution. The rule stated any human male, but it said absolutely nothing about a male animal. Like, say, a **dog**.

With a soft shuffling and the hushed sound of pleased snickering, Sirius quickly morphed into Padfoot, wagging his tail happily before bounding up the stairs quickly. He very nearly began to prance around when the stairs didn't respond; they stayed in their form, allowing him access.

A low, throaty bark erupted from his chest; he was laughing.

Reaching the door marked 'Seventh Years' in cursive writing, he gently nudged it with his nose, hoping it would open. He whimpered when it did no such thing.

After a few minutes of hopeless nudging and pushing and softly scrapping, he plopped down and began to bark persistently.

"What the bloody—"

Padfoot immediately stood back up, his tail wagging furiously and his tongue lagging out as the sound of footsteps neared the door before a lock clicked and it swung opened, revealing an irate Lily. But when she looked down and saw the dog, her eyes widened. "Oh! Well, where did you come from?"

Padfoot just bounded past her and scanned the room before spotting the occupied bed at the whole opposite side of the room. He was vaguely aware that her bed was in the same position his own was as he quickly ran over, hopping onto the covers uninvited.

Something under the covers groaned and a hand swiped out, waving rapidly. Padfoot leaned forward, careful not to step on Bella, and licked her hand, causing the girl to cry out and jump back instinctively. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to fall…except the floor.

"Oof!" she grunted as her back made hard contact. The blankets were twisted around her and Padfoot immediately jumped down, gently nudged her now exposed face with his wet nose. One blue eye popped open and she looked over to her side, raising an eyebrow at Padfoot, who barked happily and licked her face. Bella shot up and glared.

"Sirius!" she hissed lowly, adjusting her voice so Lily didn't hear her. "What the bloody hell—"

"Looks like the old boy is smitten with you, Izzy," Lily observed. Padfoot turned his innocent gaze from Bella to Lily, baring his teeth slightly at the nickname. Lily laughed at the pathetic attempt and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. In flash, Bella grabbed her pillow and whacked Padfoot with it at least several times.

"You—are—a—pervert—Sirius—Black!"

After the seventh strike, he bit the pillow and began to pull, earning an eye roll from his disheveled girlfriend, who he just began to take in. Her black hair was in disarray around her face, her white long-sleeved shirt crumpled in places. Well, he couldn't be sure if it was white or not; his vision was only in black and white. Her jeans hung low on her lips, drawing out around her feet. She sighed and released the pillow, climbing back into her bed, dragging the blankets up and bunching them in a heap before motioning for Padfoot to join her. He leapt up willingly and laid his head in her lap, nudging her hand with the top of his head.

"Spoiled rotten, that's what you are," she muttered, stroking his fur softly. Padfoot's tail wagged madly, a contented humming sound coming from his large chest. Bella's hand moved from his back to his ear, gently rubbing it and Padfoot subconsciously leaned into the touch, hardly noticing when Lily came back into the room.

"Poor thing...where did he come from, you reckon?" Lily mused, gathering her things quietly. Bella watched as Padfoot made a rumbling sound which could only be deciphered as laughter.

"No idea, but I bet I know where he's going."

Sirius looked up at her, his large eyes surreally watery and wide as he whimpered softly. Bells eyes softened and she groaned before leaning down and kissing his head softly, earning another happy bark from the dog.

"I'm going to the library, Iz," Lily announced before leaving. Bella turned back to the dog lying in her lap and raised a brow.

"You can change now. Or morph or whatever the hell it is we do."

Sirius only shook his head, gently nudging her suggestively. Bella frowned deeply, earning an agitated grunt from the dog, who hopped off the bed and began rummaging through an open compartment in her bedside table. Bella guessed she should have felt angry, but she was mostly curious as to what he was looking for.

Finally, he trotted back, a picture in his mouth, and dropped the object into her open palm. Both of her brows rose.

A beautiful white tiger sat there, looking fierce as it trudged through the clear water of an unknown river. She had gotten the picture from Lily earlier in the year. "You…want _me_ to morph?"

Sirius nodded vigorously.

"Oh, brilliant idea, Sirius; just morph into a _tiger_ in the middle of my _dorm_!" she exclaimed sarcastically, rolling her eyes. Sirius huffed and gently bit on her pant leg, pulling her out of bed and towards her door. She sighed. "You want me to leave."

Padfoot barked and bounded toward the door, his tail swishing from side to side as Bella walked over, swinging it open, allowing the large dog to run down the steps. She knew that if she refused, he'd use those pathetic puppy-dog eyes that worked oh-so-well on her. Every. Freaking. Time.

It was an odd sight, the girl and the dog. Anytime a guy so much as gave Bella even a friendly smile, the dog growled protectively and barked, startling the smile-r. If Bella hadn't been laughing, she'd probably be a bit pissed.

Honestly, that last guy looked like he was going to wet himself.

Finally, they made it to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest and Padfoot bounded in, waiting in the shadows for the white tiger. Bella lost her annoyed outlook and replaced it with a smile before morphing into the brilliant creature, bounding in after the dog. Sirius pounced on her playfully, biting her ear as she pushed him off, than proceeded to tackle him. They continued their playful fighting until they came to one of Bella's favorite spot: a small, glistening lake surrounded by thick trunked trees and wildlife. Even though Sirius had yet to strut around with the werewolf at night, Bella had informed the three Animagi of different places in the Forest that would be 'safe' for the werewolf to go. She had never brought him out of the shack, knowing she can't restrain him herself, but she also knew there was no way for all of them to stay in the shack.

Impossible.

Bella lay down, her head resting on her large paws with her back legs tucked under her body comfortably. A new weight shifted on top of her upper half and she didn't to check to know it was Sirius gently lying on top of her. His torso was lying on top of Bella's furry body while his lower half stayed on the ground beside her comfortably. The large black dog nuzzled the side of her silken head, earning a loud purr from the oversized cat. A smooth tongue ran across Bella's muzzle as Padfoot licked her affectionately before burying his own muzzle into her thick fur, making the purring increase in volume slightly. The odd pair stayed like that, just laying there until another creature made its presence known.

The white stag strutted into the clearing, snorting loudly to gain the other two's attention. Padfoot, whose head was currently lying on top of Bella's, opened one eye lazily while Bella stayed unmoving. Prongs trotted over, his hooves kicking up dirt. Padfoot cocked his head to the side.

The stag soon reached its friends and leaned down, nudging both with his large antlers. Bella growled, irritated, but didn't respond otherwise, earning an annoyed huff from the overshadowing matured deer. Padfoot breathed a sigh and gently shifted off of Bella, knowing the look Prongs was giving the tiger. She whimpered slightly at the loss, only to get jostled by the antlers again. She stretched, her claws extending dangerously, before standing up and narrowing her blue eyes at the white creature, who snorted happily. Bella huffed and shook her large head, deciding to let it go as Padfoot and Prongs ran around the clearing, wrestling playfully. She watched calmly, lapping up some water from the tiny lake every now and again, rolling her eyes when Prongs charged at Padfoot, who swiveled out of the way. Prongs didn't have enough time to swerve and ended up hitting a rather fat tree, his antlers becoming embedded in the bark.

The dog fell to the ground, that throaty bark exiting his mouth loudly. Bella had her muzzle hidden in her paws as her shoulders shook with the similar laughs of Padfoot; only hers weren't so gravelly and loud. The stag twisted and turned, trying desperately to remove himself, getting more and more frantic when it didn't work.

"There you are…oh jeez."

Bella looked up at Remus, who was watching James in exasperation. Sirius was still laughing uncontrollably, so he didn't notice Remus's entrance into the small clearing. With a heavy sigh, Remus walked over to James and gently began to remove the antlers while Bella trotted over, watching interestedly. The stag huffed down at her, his large liquid eyes narrowed. She looked back innocently, standing up on her hind legs to lick his cheek sweetly. Prongs' glare wavered and, with a snort, dropped to the ground as he sulked, waiting for Remus to finish with his antlers. The barking laughter in the background soon stopped and Padfoot padded over serenely, sitting down next to the object of his affection, nuzzling her cheek before turning his attention to the now released Prongs.

"You are bloody idiots. No, not you, Bella," Remus said, looking down at the pouting tiger, who instantly brightened. "You do realize Hagrid's in the area, correct?"

Sirius cocked his head to the side curiously while the stag shook his head slightly. Remus sighed and motioned for them to revert back, holding up a small bag of clothes. Bella immediately went and hid behind a large tree, listening as they morphed and got dressed. Her eyes caught the sight of a small inchworm on a nearby leaf and she laid down, her nose a small centimeter away from the green creature. Suddenly, its movements became quicker, but Bella only followed it, her belly dragging on the ground. Without warning, she swiped her paw out and landing it in the worm's path, startling the poor thing. She moved her nose closer and watched interestedly as it climbed frantically on her muzzle, trying to follow it as it climbed onto her head.

Someone laughing grabber her attention and she turned to look at Sirius, who was leaning over. He grabbed the worm off her head and placed it back on the ground, where it slinked away hurriedly. "What were you doing, love? Making new friends?"

Bella pounced over and rubbed her head under his hand, purring softly. He bent down and stroked her fur tenderly, kissing the top of her head before standing back up and holding out a pair of his clothes. She cocked her head to the side.

"Moony doesn't know the secret to get into the girl's dormitory, so he brought an extra pair of clothes, just in case you were out here. Always so thorough, that Moony," he explained, leaning against the tree casually. Bella stared at him pointedly, receiving a smile. She huffed and began to nudge him away, pushing him back towards the others. James was laughing as Bella continued to push Sirius away so she could change in peace. He looked down at her and held up the clothes.

"Aren't you going to need these?"

She jumped, trying to snatch them away, but he just held them up higher. Bella growled, crouching instinctively before springing up, tackling the boy to the ground. She made sure that they landed in a soft pile of grass, so as not to hurt him, and grasped the clothes in her mouth before prancing off. She hissed threateningly behind the tree, warning them that if anyone peeks, they're mincemeat. Sirius and James laughed while Bella morphed.

Her bones adjoined back into their original places, the fur disappearing and being replaced by human skin. She quickly slipped into the too-big trousers and baggy button-up shirt before walking into the clearing. Remus smiled apologetically.

"Sorry Bells, but we don't have any, uh—" he blushed furiously, stumbling to find the right words. Sirius grinned.

"What dear Moony is trying to say is that you're going to have to go commando until you get to your room."

Bella rolled her eyes and shrugged, waltzing over to her friends calmly. Sirius draped his arm around his shoulders as they walked back to the grounds together.

She looked up at him. "So, I take you don't want these back, than?"

He looked astounded. "What kind of question is that, love? Of _course_ I want them back! Honestly," he shook his head at her question. Bella frowned for a minute before she realized why he wanted them back and flushed a red color, tripping him slightly. He laughed at her attempt and kissed her temple lightly, jumping into the conversation between James and Remus happily. The Saturday afternoon was wilting away quickly, the sun already beginning to disappear behind the horizon for the day.

"Ah, I see you found them!"

Bella looked up at Jess, who was approaching the group with Peter, looking relieved. Bella snickered, thinking of what Jess had to put up with; she wasn't very fond of Peter.

"Hiya Jess! What'd you do today?"

Jess scowled. "Well, because Lily was being a human dictionary and you were dead to the world, I came down here to talk with the boys. Only, as soon as I mentioned your name, Sirius here—" scowls directed at Sirius "—ran off like I was the freaking plague. After being gone for about an hour, James decided to go for a walk in the forest, moron, and that left Remus and Peter and me. But soon Remus left too, looking for James, and than it got real awkward."

Bella snorted and stared at her. "I didn't ask for your life story, dear. I just wanted to know how you spent your day."

"Well, too bad. I didn't have a good day and, damn it, you're going to hear about it," Jess snapped before walking with the group towards the entrance to the castle. After Jess got over her sulkiness, she began to talk with Bella, both of the girls laughing loudly while the boys continued their own conversations. The sound of plates clinking and people chatting in the Great Hall distracted Bella momentarily.

"Is it dinner already?"

"Mm-hm, Lily's waiting for us," Jess answered, turning into the large hall. Bella guiding the oblivious boys, who didn't even notice what she was doing until, they stopped at the long oak table. Bella slid in between Jess and Lily, making Sirius frown before sauntering to the other side of the table, sitting directly across from her. The other boys followed his example, all sidling into their usual spots before shoveling food onto their plates. Patty was sitting beside Lily today, watching Remus from under her lashes. Lily nudged Bella softly and gestured toward their roommate discreetly and the Italian girl watched as Patty looked up at something Remus had said, flushing furiously when he sent a smile her way.

Jess, who had caught on, smiled slyly before exchanging looks with the other two girls. In unison, they stood up, bringing a startled Patty up with them.

"We just remembered! Uh, that, we…um…forgot something in the dormitory! We'll be right back," Lily excused rushing out of the Great Hall, dragging Patty with her. Jess and Bella both gather some food before heading off, their stomachs growling loudly.

"'Night, dears," Bella called out to the bewildered Marauders, disappearing around the corner, hurrying to catch up with her friends.

-.-.-.-.-

"You like Remus!" Jess exploded, flailing her arms wildly as Bella closed the door silently. Patty's face beamed brightly, flopping back on her bed, holding her head in her hands.

"Is it that obvious?" she fretted. The other three girls nodded in unison, sitting around their friend comfortingly. Bella tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Don't worry; he's too dense to notice," she assured Patty absently. The girl lifted her face from her hands and stared at Bella hopefully, her large brown eyes pleading.

"Really, he hasn't noticed?"

"Eh, probably not, don't worry," Bella repeated with a grin. Jess tugged on Patty's brown hair, trying to get her attention, smiling widely when she did.

"So…"

"…So?" Patty mumbled. Jess sighed exasperatedly as Lily patted their friend's shoulder comfortingly, smiling kindly. Jess leaned toward Patty, her eyes wide and questioning.

"How long have you fancied dear little Remus?"

"Oh." Patty's face flushed a deep red and tilted her head so that her hair covered her face. She mumbled something incoherent, grabbing Bella's attention instantly while Jess put a hand behind her ear, leaning closer to Patty. Bella, who was sitting in front of Patty on the floor, leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and her head cocked to the side interestedly.

"Justafewmonthsmaybeayear," Patty muttered hurriedly. Jess blinked, than nodded in understanding, earning an eye-roll from Bella.

"Do you even know what she just said?" she demanded. Jess looked insulted, but the gleam in her eye said otherwise.

"Of course! She said 'just a few months, maybe a year.'"

Patty nodded indefinitely and Bella raised both eyebrows, her mouth hanging slightly agape. But she quickly gathered herself together and shook her head, not even asking how Jess understood their friend. "Well, you should ask him out."

"Ha! You're one to talk," Jess snorted. Bella glared at her viciously but Jess just crossed her arms defiantly, raising an eyebrow, daring Bella to challenge her. The girl released a loud breath, made a rather impolite hand gesture towards Jess and laid back against the floor.

"My situation's different; Sirius is a playboy but Remus is the nicest, sweetest guy ever," Bella explained calmly. Jess rolled her eyes but shrugged otherwise, not really caring so long as Patty took action. But judging by the green tint her face had taken on, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon.

Suddenly, a scrapping noise and small, whimpering noises were heard outside of their door. Bella groaned and rolled over so her back was to the door while Lily stood up and walked over. "Noo…don't get it!"

The door creaked open and a bark was heard just before bounding footfalls and suddenly, Bella was being licked on the face by a large black dog. Bella sat up and scowled down at the dog, who just stared back up innocently before laying across her lap, belly-up.

"Whoa…where did _he_ come from?" Jess demanded. Lily shrugged, sitting down and petting the large animal softly.

"Not sure; he came earlier this morning too. And he seems quite smitten with Bells," Lily teased, smirking at Bella, who just grinned and shrugged, rubbing his stomach softly. The dog licked her arm as his leg kicked involuntarily.

"Anyway, I think we should all go to Hogsmeade together next weekend; just us girls," Bella announced, carefully guiding away from the topic of Patty's crush. The dog below her suddenly jumped up and whined, looking at Bella pleadingly. The girl cocked her head to the side and gently brought a hand up to his ear, rubbing it affectionately.

Jess sniggered. "I think you're new friend wants to have you all to himself."

The dog barked, leaning into Bella's touch, earning laughs from the girls. After lying his head in Bella's lap, the dog began to listen to the girl's conversation, completely content with his position. His girlfriend's hand stroked his fur slowly, laughing at something Jess said while Lily swiped a pillow across Patty's head playfully.

And Sirius couldn't help but hope they'd get into some PJs and have a full-out pillow fight.

**I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! And if you don't celebrate it, i hope you had a good day anyway! **

**Review plz? Plz plz plz? Gah, I'm begging. **


	12. Accidents and Corks

**A/N: Gah! It's been a long time, I know. But it's been kinda hectic at school and now it's almost X-mas! YAY! well, you know, unless you don't celebrate it. Than it's probably an equally awesome holiday! So, happy holidays! ANYWAYS, i lied. This one doesn't have much of a plot. I'll try to get the plot going during next chapter, k? K. **

**Disclaimer: I am only a fourteen (nearly fifteen) year old girl playing with the characters. They do not belong to me; if they were dolls, they'd have a stamp that says: 'Made by J.K. Rowling.'**

Chapter Twelve: Accidents and Corks

Bella walked into the Great Hall on Saturday morning, her body covered in the traditional Quidditch uniform, the deep shades of red and gold contrasting with her skin. Her long, black tresses were pulled back into a sloppy ponytail so she would be able to fly without it flinging in front of her line of vision. Her broom (the brand new Nimbus) was poised on her shoulder as she walked over to her fellow team members.

"G'mornin Bella," Patrick, the keeper, greeted. Bells grunted softly and took her seat between James and Jess, who looked like a zombie…only less life-like. Her eyelids kept drooping and anytime her head bobbed, James would toss a roll at her head, earning a knee-jerk reaction from her; she would sit up straight, pull out her wand, and mumble some incoherent strings of words before realizing there was no danger. Then the cycle would start all over again. James was as cocky as ever, barely even that nervous…well, on the outside anyway.

Bella could see the truly worried captain underneath. She prodded him in the ribs. "Don't worry, Jamie; we're gonna win. It's only Ravenclaw, you know."

He sighed heavily. "Yeah, but we saw the tryouts, remember? And if we lose this game, what'll that say about me as a captain?! This is the first game I've led and if we lose…"

Bella scowled and swiped her Quidditch captain upside the head. "Would you come off it? We are going to win and you are going to relax and you are going to have faith. Or else, got it?"

He blinked and nodded, swallowing hard. Bella nodded once and turned back to face the food on the table, missing the frightened look James exchanged with the rest of the team. Jess snickered.

"Maybe you should be captain, Bells. At least you have the proper confidence in your team," she mused, nearly flopping off the bench with raucous laughter at the rather hysterical look that adorned James's features. His hazel eyes snapped open impossibly wide while his mouth flew open, incoherent splutters escaping the opening. Bella sighed and shook her head, taking a bite of toast and marmalade. Patrick was telling a story of an old hag, an ogre, and a troll when Lily and Patty entered the Great Hall, both dressed in Gryffindor scarves and long coats. The weather was getting colder and the threat of snow was coming up fast.

"Excited?" Lily asked, sitting down beside Christy, one of the other chasers. The members of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team all nodded mutely, a couple of them turning an unnatural shade of green. They continued to eat their breakfast in silence, James running over their play under his breath, relaying every move and every tactic they had planned out silently. Christy and Patrick were both speaking quietly, every once and awhile stealing kisses. The third chaser, Hayley, was fidgeting nervously, first clenching her fists, than unclenching them and twisting her robes before going back to taking small bites of her breakfast.

Suddenly, Jess was wide awake. "Where's Sirius?"

The team went silent and turned to James expectantly; he never lets anyone get away with being late to breakfast the morning of a match. And Bella swore she saw steam pouring out of his ears as he stood up and marched off, mumbling, "That bloody arse. If I found out he's hung over, I'll…", than broke into incoherent cuss words.

Bella tapped her chin thoughtfully, sipping at her pumpkin juice. "You'd think I would notice that my own boyfriend is missing."

Lily snorted. "This early in the morning? Pfft, yeah right; I'm rather astonished you managed to dress yourself properly, to be honest."

Bella scowled at her friend but said nothing, silently agreeing with her. Because of the Hogsmeade trip later on, the match had been scheduled extra early this morning. A few moments later and James came back, an irate and sleepy Sirius trailing behind. He sat down sloppily beside Bella and yawned, laying his head on the table instead of actually eating. Bella laughed and ran a hand through his hair before going back to her food. After trying to eat and failing because of a queasy stomach, Hayley pushed her plate away and instead took to staring at Sirius discreetly.

Jess was watching this and turned to Bella, expecting an enraged expression on her face. She was taken aback, however, when Bella looked just as happy as before. Jess poked her in the side.

"You do realize Hayley is ogling Sirius? Rather slut-ish-ly, might I add," she pointed out, whispering. Bella grinned widely and nodded before pushing her still-full plate away. She was extremely nervous, as she always is before a Quidditch match, but there was a reason she was so happy this early in the morning.

"Today, I'm going to Hogsmeade with Sirius. Kind of like an official date," Bella explained excitedly. Hayley, hearing the news, stared horror-struck at Bella, than at Sirius, as her eyes glossed over with unshed tears. Bella stared at the fourth year, guilt rising in her stomach, making her throat close up. She didn't mean for anyone besides Jess to hear that, least of all, Hayley Riley. The fourth-year girl has had a crush on the bold Black since her first year, so Bella knew this must've hurt her. Bella reached across the table and gently patted Hayley's hand.

"Hayley, I'm sorry. I know you like him and I, being my selfish self, didn't even consider what you might think…Gah. Sorry!" Bella apologized hurriedly, her stomach clenching uncomfortably at the sight of a few tears on Hayley's cheeks. The young girl was like a sister to Bella and the last thing she wanted to do was hurt her sister.

Sniffling, Hayley nodded and muttered a broken, "I know."

Bella smiled sadly. "Well, look at it this way; if we were ever to, you know, break up, you'll probably have the best shot with him."

Hayley's laugh was still choked slightly, but her tears stopped and she smiled at Bella, noticing how she flinched visibly at the thought of breaking up with Sirius.

Hayley also noticed the flinch from Sirius as well.

"Ok, team, it's time," James announced, standing up and swinging his broom over his shoulder, walking out of the Hall. The team rose slowly and followed behind their captain, smiling at the cheers and applause they got from their house. James and Sirius, of course, lapped up the attention, bowing exaggeratedly at the entrance to the Hall. Jess and Bella shared a look, rolled their eyes, and ignored the laughter of the students in the Great Hall.

"Christy, honestly, this is your _last year_!" Jess was scolding, her hands on her hips. "You have to do something interesting before you leave Hogwarts."

Christy rolled her eyes and scoffed. "I don't have to do anything, Jess. Drop the subject already."

Jess continued as if Christy hadn't even spoken. "I mean, even if you just run around the school in some lingerie that would do. Or maybe streak in the common room and the boys dormitories! Oh, wait, don't do that; I want to. AH! I know the perfect—"

"Just shut up, Jess! I don't have to do anything crazy!"

Bella laughed as the two girls continued to bicker endlessly, Jess suggesting new ideas and Christy vehemently refusing them. She wasn't even aware that James and Sirius were running to catch up with the team until an arm snaked around her waist. She looked over at a panting Sirius and grinned.

"Are you actually done showing off, O Mighty Beater?"

He laughed cheekily and kissed her temple affectionately. "No, not quite; I'm holding it all in until we win the match."

Leaning into his embrace, Bella raised a brow. "You and James are sorely unbalanced; he's afraid we might just lose and you believe we're going to win, hands down. Honestly."

Sirius just grinned and shrugged, bringing up his hand that was unoccupied to play with her ponytail, running his fingers through the group of black curls. Bella began talking to Jess, comparing the plays James had insisted they used for this match, complaining about the complicated ones loudly. They only stopped when James attempted at taking them out with the end of his broom.

The grass cracked under their feet as the team maybe their way to the lockers, every member taking a seat on the benches, watching their captain pace around the small area, his glasses askew and his hair even messier than usual. He continued to pace for several minutes than he abruptly turned and stared at his team.

"Do. Not. Lose."

The six Quidditch players looked at their captain expectantly for three minutes until they realized those three words was all his pep-talk consisted of. Jess snorted and rolled her eyes.

Bella stared at him, deadpan. "Very deep pep-talk, James; it definitely made _me _believe we're going to win."

Jess sighed heavily. "I seriously think you should consider handing over the job of captain to Bella; you don't seem to have what it takes, Potter. 'Do. Not. Lose.' Honestly."

Sirius cleared his throat and stood up on the bench, grinning as the team members turned to appraise him. "Alright, well, think of it this way, mates; Ravenclaws are a bunch of book-worm nerds. On a broom, intellect won't do much for you…"

"Is _that _why you joined?" Jess piped up. Sirius ignored her skillfully as Bella choked back a laugh.

"…you need instinct, which is what we're best at. This is a game of quick wits and strength. Now, if it was a game of trivia, well, we would probably lose, ungracefully, I might add. But, seeing as it's not, we're in the safe zone."

The rest of the team, sensing this as the best pep-talk they were likely to get, cheered, causing Sirius to beam confidently and he jumped down lithely from the bench. He turned to Bella, struck out his hand while bowing. Bells raised a brow but slipped her hand into Sirius's and stood up, smiling as he twirled her around.

Sirius placed two fingers under her chin and brought her face up, locking his eyes with hers, and kissed her swiftly, ignoring the disapproving grunt from James.

Within the next three minutes, the team was lined up in order: Keeper, Chasers, Beaters, and Seeker. Bella hopped from foot to foot anxiously, smiling when Sirius turned around to grin at her. He occasionally brought a hand up to her face and stroked her cheek, trying to ignore the shock that ran through his body at the touch.

Then the announcer's voice echoed in the air.

"Welcome to another exciting Quidditch Match!" Gerard Marcus, a third year Hufflepuff, yelled happily. "How about we announce the Ravenclaws first? Just to mix it up, eh? Alright, here they are, the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team: Geer, Torine, Harrington, Langston, Helit, Keller, and Hewitt!"

The sound of loud cheers echoed after the announcer and the soft _whoosh _of brooms taking off mingled in with the shouts. Then the announcer was talking again.

"Now, for the Gryffindor Team: McConnell, Potter, Warrington, Riley, Black, Albert—" Jess rolled her eyes at coming after Sirius –"and Serino!"

They flew out, listening as people cheered and whooped and shouting encouragements. James and Sirius, both enjoying the attention to no end, waved and did flips on their brooms, showing off for their audience. Well, until Jess nearly knocked both off their brooms by whipping them with the back of her broom. Madam Leer explained the rules and the players got into position as James and the Ravenclaw captain shook hands, both staring each other down.

The snitch and bludgers were released and when Madam Leer pulled out the Quaffle, the players grasped their brooms tightly. In a flash, the ball was in the air. And the game began.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Bells, find that snitch already!" Jess yelled out, banging her bat against a bludger, her aim at one of the other beaters dead on. Unfortunately, he swung under his broom, dangling upside down until the ball passed, than swung back up on the piece of wood and took off. Bella rolled her eyes and sent Jess an irritated look.

"What the bloody hell do you think I've been trying to do? Pee rainbow colors?" she shot back, zooming away and around the arena, searching for the small golden ball. Suddenly, she heard the loud whizzing of a bludger and swerved her broom, feeling the ball fly by her cheek, grazing it ever-so-slightly. With a sharp sigh of relief, she continued to circle the field, more cautious now.

Sirius didn't miss the near-hit with the bludger. His gray eyes narrowed and he set out to hit the prat that had very nearly knocked Bella with a bludger. He positioned himself at an angle as one of the vicious leather-bound balls came flying at him and, with all of his strength, he hit it, sending it whizzing away, successfully hitting the Ravenclaw beater in the leg. He could hear the sickening crunch from his spot and smirked proudly before entering the game again.

"AND JAMES POTTER SCORES YET ANOTHER POINT FOR GRYFFINDOR, GIVING THEM THE LEAD OF 90 TO 40!"

Bella smiled at her friend happily, watching as he slapped hands with a few team members, until her eyes became locked on a flash of gold. In a blur, she was after it, weaving between the players, one of which was Jess who hissed, "Finally!"

Bella hardly noticed the Ravenclaw seeker on her tail, choosing to ignore the guy completely. The snitch dove down near the grass and Bella, without hesitation, followed it, earning a collective gasp from the crowd as she did a nosedive, her arm outstretched towards the tiny ball. Reaching a little more, she enclosed her hand around the frantic object and held it tightly, pulling her broom up as the ground loomed closer. Over the roaring of the crowd and the pressure of wind in her ears, she didn't hear the bludger heading towards her.

She didn't know it was there until a searing pain erupted in her back and she slipped off the broom, landing in the soft sand near a goal post. She didn't hear the enraged howls of the Gryffindor crowd or the sound of punches landing. She only hear a rushing of blood and than, nothing.

/0/0/0\0\0\

She was laying on something soft. Bella laid there for a second, thinking, wondering where she was than decided she wasn't going to find out just lying there. Ignoring whatever was covering her body, she attempted to shift into a sitting position.

That was a mistake.

She gasped as a pain shot through her back and instantly lay back down against the soft caress of whatever she was laying on. Her eyes were still tightly closed as she took deep breaths, willing the pain to go away. She wasn't even aware anyone else was with her, wherever she was, until something enclosed around her hand.

"Bells?"

She willed her eyes to open, despite their heaviness, and turned her head to look at the owner of the voice that just said her name. Her face split into a tired grin when she realized who it was.

Sirius sighed and leaned out of his chair, releasing his grip on her hand to brush her hair aside while leaning near her and kissing her forehead. She yawned. "Hiya Sirius," she breathed sleepily. As she blinked a few times, the drowsiness leaving her system, she suddenly remembered what happened.

"Who the bloody hell hit me with a damn bludger?"

Sirius chuckled and kissed her cheek fondly, whispering, "James, Jess, and I took care of him."

Bella's eyes fluttered closed contentedly as Sirius gently kissed her continually, moving his hand from her hair to her face. The two stayed like that until a door slammed open.

"You're awake!" Madam Pomfrey fretted, shooing Sirius out of the way as she examined her patient. Sirius crossed his arms and grinned at Bella, who was pouting in her bed.

_Ah, I'm in the Hospital Wing…hm, I suppose I should've known that, _Bella thought as Pomfrey peeled the blanket off her body and snaked a hand under her, holding Bella's back securely.

"Alright, Ms. Serino, you need to try and sit up," she instructed calmly. Releasing a sigh, Bella did as she was told, wincing as pain shot through her back again; the only reason she was able to sit completely upright was because of the supporting hand of the nurse. Pomfrey turned to Sirius and narrowed her eyes.

"You need to leave, Mr. Black."

Sirius raised a brow but smiled charmingly. "Aw, come on, Poppy! I can't just leave my girlfriend."

Poppy's eyes narrowed dangerously and she held her wand up, pointing it at Sirius threateningly. Bella, who was leaning against two large white pillows, sighed and watched as her boyfriend tried to charm Pomfrey into letting him stay. Actually, with Poppy holding her wand out threateningly and Sirius holding his hands up, palms facing her in surrender, it looked more like he was a cop trying to convince some sadistic murderer to drop the gun.

Bella snorted at the thought. "Madam Pomfrey, I don't mind, really."

She turned to Bella, a skeptical look adorning her features. "You don't mind him seeing you topless while I check your wounds, eh?"

Bella's face changed instantly from white to red while Sirius's eyes sparked excitedly; he looked like a kid on Christmas Day who finally got what he had asked Santa for. Bella shook her head rapidly and pointed to the door. "I'll see you later, Sirius."

He frowned and pouted slightly. "But, Bella—"

She gave him a dark look and he snapped his jaw shut before heaving a dramatic sigh and leaning over to kiss her and leaving, grumbling all the way. Poppy didn't remove Bella's Quidditch top until the door echoed, signaling it was closed. Even though Madam Pomfrey was hardly interested in how she actually looked, Bella couldn't help but feel extremely self-conscious; she was afraid Poppy was going to gag in horror and run away.

Although guys her age fancy Bella's body, she still gets self-conscious; after all, teenage boys are controlled by their hormones. Well…boys like Sirius anyways.

Bella rolled her eyes but smiled fondly at the thought of her boyfriend. She honestly wasn't very surprised when he tried to argue with her, obviously, which only made it that much more amusing; Sirius was so predictable.

"Mm…mm-hm…mm-hm…"

Bella bit her bottom lip, hoping that those were good 'mm-hm's and not 'its-worse-than-I-thought' mm-hms.

"Alright Ms. Serino, you may put your shirt back on. You're healing rather well, and I'm…uh, actually, I'm surprised. Those broken bones and bruises…" Madam Pomfrey muttered, shaking her head bewildered. But she soon just waved her hands dismissively in response to Bella's curious and confused looks, exclaiming that she was better and that's all that mattered.

As Bella slipped back into her shirt, she winced slightly. "You'll still be sore, mind you, but you should be just fine."

Bella stepped out of the bed and thanked Poppy before walking out of the Hospital Wing, moving her legs slowly, wincing every now and again. Her muscles were stiff and sore from her fall, despite the soft sand that had cushioned her. The halls were quiet and deserted as the sun just began to peak over the horizon. Bella pouted.

"It is too damn early to be up," she grumbled, crossing her arms tightly only to wince afterward. The sky was a dismal gray, clouds looming overhead and threatening to drench the world. The whole way to the common room, Bella ran her fingers through her hair, trying desperately to relieve her black locks of their knots, and thinking about where Sirius had gotten too.

_Probably to the dorm, getting some decent sleep,_ she thought with a sigh. Judging by the dark circles under his eyes and his haystack of hair, she guessed he had stayed in the hospital wing all night, waiting for her to wake up. Bella rolled her eyes and muttered, "Bloody moron" under her breath and began to climb the staircase that led to the portrait of the Fat Lady.

The portrait was sleeping when Bella reached the top, so, not knowing exactly what to do, Bella gently tapped on the frame. "Uh…excuse me? Pardon, Fat Lady, please wake up—oh for goodness sakes, wake up!"

The woman snorted and dropped her wine glass, blinking her eyes blearily, trying to take in her surroundings. "Wha-where? Oh…what the bloody hell are you doing out of the common room this early? I have to sleep, you know!"

Bella scowled, repeated the password, and walked through the portrait hole, ignoring the insolent mutterings of the Fat Lady.

She had barely taken ten steps in when she was assaulted by something tall and red.

"Oh, Izzy! I was so worried about you! And Madam Pomfrey wouldn't allow any of us into the wing! Except Sirius, who very nearly nailed himself to the floor to stay."

It took several minutes for Bella to comprehend that it was Lily who had tackled her. She laughed and patted Lily's shoulder. "Ah, don't worry about it, Lils; I'm fine. Obviously, seeing as I made it here all by myself."

Lily released her friend and held her at an arm's length. "Yes, well, at least that idiot didn't hit your front; it would be such a pity if that pretty face of yours was ruined." The smirk on Lily's lips were the confirmation that she was, indeed, being sarcastic.

Bella rolled her eyes and shrugged Lily's hands off her shoulders, grinning over at James, Jess, Remus, and Sirius, who were all standing off the side. James, who had been currently bouncing from foot to foot restlessly, pounced over to Bella and hugged her tightly.

"We took care of the bloody bastard, don't worry," he whispered in her ear, low enough so Lily couldn't hear him. Bella kissed his cheek.

"So I heard," she commented, glancing at an unabashed Sirius. Jess clapped Bella on the shoulder and gave her a quick hug, not one for PDA, even among friends.

"Well…at least he didn't wreck your more womanly aspects, yeah? I bet Sirius would've become a murderer if that git had."

Bella snorted. "Who did it, anyways?"

"Brandon Keller," Remus answered, giving her a soft hug. Bella made an O-shape with her mouth and nodded as she practically tumbled into Sirius's embrace, earning a laugh from him. He gently buried his face in her hair, took a deep breath, and pulled away, addressing the others.

"I think Bella needs to get some sleep."

The girl mumbled something and snuggled deeper into Sirius's chest.

"I do believe you're correct Padfoot," James agreed. Bella just rolled her eyes in annoyance and yawned widely, tilting her head upwards when she felt Sirius kiss her hairline. She smiled drowsily and Sirius raised a brow, cocking his head to the side amusedly.

"Are you tired, love?"

"Mm-hm," she murmured, burying her face in his chest again. Sirius brought a hand up from her waist and gently stroked her hair while consulting with the others.

"How in the world is she still tired?" Jess demanded, flopping backwards onto the couch. James shrugged cluelessly, his hazel eyes locked on Lily, while the redheaded beauty rolled her eyes.

"I'd guess it's from the potions and such Madam Pomfrey gave her," she suggested, moving as far away from James as she could, who was 'discreetly' following her. Sirius grinned at the girl and nodded.

"Exactly what I was thinking, Lily Flower," he announced. Lily's green orbs snapped away from James and turned their glare to Sirius; he cowered slightly.

"What did you just call me?"

"Despite the fact that I believe your hearing is perfectly in tact, I'll repeat myself; Lily—"

"I HEARD YOU!" Lily roared. James finally began to back away, shooting Sirius 'don't-you-dare' looks. The boy only winked and turned to Lily, who had marched over to him. He couldn't even use hand motions to explain himself; he was busy holding Bella, who was trying very hard to ignore everyone and go to sleep.

"My apologies, but I had gotten the impression that you liked that name."

"No one calls me that, Black! And if anyone did, you sure as hell wouldn't be able to!"

Sirius widened his eyes mockingly and gasped. "Lily Evans! Watch your mouth! What would your mother say?" he scolded. He felt, rather than heard, Bella's laughs, which only widened his grin while he tried to control his hormones desperately.

Lily wagged a finger at Sirius. "Don't you dare scold _me _for _my _language, Sirius Black!"

Sirius laid his cheek on the top of Bella's hair and grinned. "Well, back on topic, I just thought that James called you that all the time. I mean, that's how he always refers to you. Only, he calls you '_lovely _Lily flower', which was going a bit far in my—ow!"

"Don't insult Lily," Bella mumbled, bringing her arm back around his waist while he rubbed the back of his head. He scowled and grumbled something unintelligible, walking over to an armchair and sitting down, folding Bella up into his arms. Her face was nestled in the crock of his neck while she sat on his lap, her hair hiding the side of her face. Sirius buried his face in her hair, trying, to the best of his abilities, to ignore the feeling of Bella's breath on his neck.

"POTTER!"

"Evans, really, how can you trust _Sirius_?"

Sirius huffed at James's assumption and muttered, "Bloody bastard, trying to blame me to save his own ass."

Bella laughed breathily and yawned. "And you yelled at Lily for her language? Someone should wash your mouth out."

"Mmm…you can do whatever you want, love. You won't hear any complaints from me."

Bella blushed and rolled her eyes. "Who said _I _was going to do it? I was thinking more on the lines of McGonagall, quite honestly."

Sirius made a choking sound. "Gak! Are you trying to kill me? Please tell me you're joking!"

She laughed again and buried her face deeper into his neck, kissing the skin softly. "Of course I am. Do you really believe I would allow anyone else to punish you? I'm offended."

Sirius made a contented sound in the back of his throat and hugged Bella tighter, angling his neck slightly so she got better access. "Do you know _how _exactly you're going to punish me?"

Bella didn't answer as heat flooded her cheeks and she continued to gently kiss her boyfriend's neck. But she stopped abruptly.

Earlier this morning, Sirius had referred to her as his 'girlfriend.' He hadn't done that before. In fact, if Bella remembered correctly, he had only called one other girl his girlfriend. She had, admittedly, called him her boyfriend in her mind and to her dorm-mates, but neither of them had ever made it official.

"Sirius…" she whispered. He hummed, letting her know she got his attention. "Uh…well, I was just wondering…um…"

Sirius shifted in the chair so that he was looking her in the face, glancing over at a still outraged Lily and a cowering James, making sure that the others were watching those two and not Bella and him.

"What is it, love?"

She fiddled with the hem of Sirius's shirt, not aware of the effect that had on the boy. His breath hitched and he tried to, once again, control the direction his blood was headed.

"You…um…you called me…something this morning that…you haven't…yet…" Bella murmured, not looking at Sirius but rather at his black T-shirt. She was vaguely aware that she was still in her Quidditch uniform and needed to change ASAP. She was contemplating rather or not to sniff herself, just to see if she smelled bad, but decided that it would ruin the serious mood she tried to set with her question.

Sirius blinked and thought back to when he visited her in the morning. With a shock, he realized he called Bella his girlfriend. He looked down at Bella, who was biting her lip adorably. Sirius's gaze softened slightly and he put his hand under her chin, coaxed her face up. When grey eyes met blue, he smiled. "I called you my girlfriend. Is there something horribly wrong with that?"

Bella blinked once, than broke into a large grin, catching on. "No! No, nothing's wrong with that! I rather like it, to be honest."

Sirius leaned down and brought his mouth to her ear, gently drawing the lobe into his mouth, earning a strangled gasp from Bella. He released it and kissed the back of her ear, softly licking the skin and biting it, beginning to form a love bite.

"Oi, get a room!"

Sirius groaned softly and leaned up, glaring viciously at Jess. "Shut up, Jess; go find your new boy toy."

She grinned, unfazed. "I haven't found a new one, yet. But, no worries, I have a few candidates lined up!"

Bella laughed and snuggled back into a cuddling position with Sirius, who was grumbling profanities under his breath. "Aren't you lonely?"

"Eh, not really. Watching these two—" Jess stuck her thumb in the direction of Lily and James "—I've learned it's good to be on your own for a little while."

"They aren't even together and yet they fight like a married couple," Remus added, shaking his head with an amused smile on his lips. Everyone else turned their attention to Lily and James in unison.

"Evans, I swear, I hardly ever call you that!" James cried, ducking as Lily threw a book at him.

"_Hardly ever _isn't good enough, you pig-headed PRAT! You are to NEVER, I repeat, NEVER call me that! EVER!"

James ducked as Lily threw another text-book (_Standard Book of Spells—5)_ and scrambled up the stairs to the boys dormitory, leaving an angry Lily in his wake. The others blinked and turned away, pretending to be having other conversations when she turned around and scowled at them. Bella snuggled deeper into Sirius's side as he talked casually with Remus about Transfiguration. Jess was pretending to do her homework, writing nonsense on a large piece of parchment.

"Izzy, go to bed," Lily ordered sharply. Bella blinked and sputtered.

"Wha—wait, I don't—"

"GO!"

Bella huffed and scowled, but attempted at disentangling herself from Sirius. Sirius, however, was not so wiling to give her up. His arm tightened around her waist while he glared at Lily, keeping Bella stationed at his side. Bella was looking between the two anxiously, waiting for Lily to just blow up.

"Black," she said warningly.

"Evans," Sirius mocked.

"LET BELLA GET TO BED! SHE NEEDS HER REST, DAMN IT!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow calmly. "Well, she can sleep right here. But not with you screaming like a banshee, mind you. Why don't you leave her be and stay quiet?"

Lily turned her fiery-gaze to Bella, who blinked and pressed herself closer to Sirius, who grinned widely. "Lily, I want to stay down here with everyone else. It's better than staying upstairs all by myself."

Lily threw her hands in the air and marched towards the portrait hole. "Well, fine than, but when he—" she pointed at Sirius accusingly "—ravishes you, don't blame me!"

Jess was the first to come out of the shock that settled over the group when Lily left, laughing so hard she tumbled off the couch. Remus was next, throwing his head back and laughing loudly.

Sirius snorted. "I would _never _ravish Bella," he announced, than leaned down into said girl's ear to whisper, "in public, mind you."

Bella blushed and buried her face in Sirius's chest, who was now laughing along with everyone else.

"It's not funny," she mumbled, but her embarrassment soon gave way to amusement and she began to laugh with everyone else.

When their laughter had subsided, James came down the steps, peeking around the wall.

"Is she gone?" he whispered. Sirius grinned.

"Afraid she's going to neuter you, Prongsy?" he teased. James's eyes went impossibly wide behind his wire-rimmed glasses.

"Do you reckon she would?"

Jess began to laugh loudly, along with Remus. "If you can't keep it in your trousers, of course she will!"

James's blanched, glanced downwards, and sighed, walking into the common room. The group fell into a comfortable conversation. Bella yawned and closed her eyes, turning her face back into Sirius's chest, who kissed the top of her head softly.

"Get some sleep, love. I'll make sure everyone's quiet. Who knows, _I_ might neuter James if he wakes you up," Sirius whispered, earning a breathy laugh from Bella. She sighed and curled up beside her boyfriend, whose arms tightened around her possessively.

"Now, if anyone wakes up Bella, you'll be neutered!" Sirius warned.

"Oi! In case it's escaped your notice, I don't have the male sex organs!" Jess exclaimed.

"Well, than, I guess I'll just have to super-glue a cork to your more womanly parts, eh?"

"If you come within ten feet of me with those items, I will kick you so hard you won't _have_ any manly parts, got it?!"

Sirius stayed silent, kissing Bella's hair every now and again while keeping an eye on the hostile Jess.

**TA-DA! XD**


	13. Chapter 13

**Authors Note**

Yeah, I know. I'm terrible =( I basically fell off the face of the Earth for like, what, six months? And now, when it's supposed to be a chapter, it's just a damn Author's Note. Feel free to stone me! -cowers slightly-

But I have some news! I'm BAACH! ...Get it? Like Bach? The composer? Yeah, I'm cheesy. But seriously. I am. This story, however, is either one of three things.

One) getting taken down, then will get put back up when I edit it, change it up, and finish it

Two) just getting put on Hiatus with the current chapters still hanging up. I'll go through and change everything when I actually finish the story or,

Three) it gets adopted.

Now, there is a reason for all of this. I truly love this story. It has a lot of bright moments and it makes me giddy to read it. But it has no...substance, I guess. The plot just isn't there, my characters need some serious tweaking (too perfect; I always have that problem...), and I just feel horrible continuing something I'm clueless on. I know where I want this to go. It's** getting there** that's the problem. However, as I explained, I truly love this story and it makes me happy to see that people like it. And this will NOT become a dead-fic. I will continue it, just not very soon. =( But, if you can't wait for that, read:

So, despite my want to hang on to it like a freakin' life-raft, I'm gonna put it up for adoption. From now until Sunday, you can adopt Bella and Jess and their silly adventures. The first person to respond will get all rights to this story. HOWEVER! I must still be credited for the first tweleve chapters and the **creation **of my characters. The plot and everything after this point belongs completely to the adoption parent(s). I would occasionally enjoy writing one-shots and such of these characters in the future, though, if that's at all possible. I would love to finish writing this story, but I understand that a lot of people want their story told soon so...yeah.

PM me if you're intrested. And, if it's not too much trouble, just give me a snippet of how you write? I can always just check out your stories. I just don't want to give this to someone who has an amazing but completely different writing style from me, you know? If no one adopts this by **OCTOBER 25, 2009 (LET'S SAY... 8 P.M. -EASTERN STANDARD TIME-) **then this story will still be **copyrighted to ME. **And I most likely will not remove the story. It'll just go on Hiatus.

ADOPTION FOR:

_Amazing Babes and Arrogant Boys Who Fall for Them (Chapters 13-and on)_

STARTING DATE:

_October 23, 2009 (8 p.m. -Eastern Standard Time-)_

DEADLINE:

**OCTOBER 25, 2009 (8 P.M. -EASTERN STANDARD TIME-)**


	14. Chapter 14 AhWhat's Happening?

**Ah...What's Happening?**

Okay, so...I'm not entirely sure what's going on with this story. I'm pretty sure **WriterGirl18 **has adopted it, but I can't PM her, so I'm not really sure how to contact her. I don't wanna just review a story to say "Hey, PM me, okay?"

(If **WriterGirl18 **is reading this...PM me aha =D Please)

My guess is life is probably super busy for her, so she probably just hasn't had the time to update it. So...I figured, if that is the problem, I'll restart the story =) My life's pretty hectic, but I can try to fix it along with Roses, Parchment, and Apple Pie. And to anyone who reviewed to my Author's Note, I did get your reviews, but I never had the time to respond and by the time I did, it was like four months later. Auuugh. ;0;

This is super short and just another Author's Note (I hate those, but I wanted everyone to get this notice, soo...) and I will probably leave another one to let everyone know what exactly is going on. If I restart it, the characters will probably be tweaked. Like, Bella probably won't be as close to the Marauders or she won't be a Quidditch player or stuff like that, y'know?

My internet will be shut off in a few days (lack of money, lack of bill paying...0), so just be awware if I don't respond, well, there ya go.

Let me know what you think of this arrangement. I think I am just gonna read one of her stories and review it...=DD

Laters loves!

-3DL3-


	15. Chapter 15 A Decision

**Surprise!**

Yoo! Yepp...I have now offically taken back my story as of...two minutes ago ahaha. I'll be completely rewriting it, with the same characters but with serious (aha pun) tweaking. I have a tendancy to make my characters too Mary-Sue-ish and Bella, unfortunately, is one of them. So some major tweaking will happen with her personality. Her looks will be pretty much the same, just more realistic. 'Kay? Kay.

I'm not sure when exactly I'll have it up because Physics is kicking my ass to the moon and back. So...yeah. Haha, but hopefully it'll be up soon. I know this is short and probably annoying, but I figured you all should know! There'll be updates on my profile, so check in every now and again, kay?

I gotta go get ready for the Marching Band's final hurrah of the season (-is angsting-), but maybe I'll update this weekend. I'm feelin' especially creative and not in the mood for the homework I should be doing. =3

Later loves! Let me know what you think, 'kay? Oh, and when I change the story? I'm gonna upload it completely separate and may or may not remove this one. Jury's still out on that.

-3DL3-


End file.
